ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy on Monday inducted the second of the four frigates built by China into its fleet, said an official statement.
The commissioning of PNS Tughril — named after Tugrul-I, one of the founders of the Seljuk Empire that ruled in present-day Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey during the 11th and the 14th centuries — was held in Karachi, said a statement by the navy.
The warship’s launching ceremony took place in August 2020 at Hudong Zhonghua.
The Type-054A Class ship, equipped with the latest surface-to-surface and anti-air weaponry, combat management systems, and underwater firepower, besides extensive surveillance capabilities, will serve as a technologically advanced surface platform for the navy fleet.
During the ceremony, the navy also inducted Westland WS-61 Sea King surveillance helicopters it procured from Qatar.
Addressing the ceremony, President Dr Arif Alvi, who was the chief guest on the occasion, the president said the Pakistan-China friendship is time-tested and becoming stronger with every passing day.
While Pakistan is a peace-loving country and has no nefarious designs against anyone, it is also capable to foil ill designs of the enemy, the president said.
The navy signed a contract with the China Shipbuilding Trading Company Ltd. (CSTC) for the delivery of two Type-054 A/P frigates in 2017. A deal for two more ships was signed in June 2018.
Another three ships are in different stages of construction and will be inducted into the navy’s fleet soon, an earlier statement said.
