Pakistan plans to bolster navy

The Pakistan Navy (PN) is looking to bolster its frigate fleet as negotiations get under way to buy four second-hand frigates from Greece, in addition to finalizing the acquisition of four Chinese frigates, to counter India’s rapid naval expansion.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that two , 3,780–ton Elli-class (Kortenaer) frigates would be delivered later in 2006 and the rest in 2007. The comments came after he met his counterpart, Costas Karamanlis, in Athens on 15 May during a visit to Greece.

However, the onward sale of the ex-Royal Netherlands Navy’s Kortenaer class frigates is subject to approval from The Hague. 

Under US sanctions throughout the 1990s for its clandestine nuclear programme, Pakistan has been acquiring military equipment from a variety of overseas sources to meet its defense needs and maintain parity with India.

In line with this, the PN’s Chief of Staff, Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir, is currently in China to finalize details of the deal signed in 2005 for four modified Jiangwel II (Type 053H3) frigates, dubbed the F-22P for Pakistan.

Defence sources said three of the vessels would be built by the Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding Company with keel-laying scheduled for the Chinese built lead unit in early 2007 and delivery planned two years later.

The Chinese shipbuilding conglomerate will also upgrade the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works in southern Pakistan to build and deliver the fourth F-22P frigate by 2013.

NATO seeks to develop stronger links with Islamabad

NATO will post a liaison officer in Islamabad and provide Pakistan with training opportunities as the organization seeks to develop closer links with the Sourth Asian country, according to a senior NATO official.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad on 11 May, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alessandro Miunuto Rizzo said that the alliance aims for closer co-operation with Pakistan as it prepares to deploy troops to six of Afghanistan’s 29 provinces. This expansion should see the group’s military strength in Afghanistan more than double from 8,000 personnel currently deployed to 17,000.

Most of the additional personnel will be provided by Canada, the Netherlands and the UK, while Australia, Estonia and Romania will also make contributions.

The six affected provinces are adjacent to Pakistan and the area has seen a rise in attacks by anti-government forces in recent months. “Pakistan is an emerging strategic partner of our alliance”, said Minuto Rizzo.

In Brussels, NATO spokesman James Appathurai said Pakistani officers could be invited to attend courses at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, the NATO Defence College in Rome and Allied Command Transformation’s Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway.

Hikmet Cetin, NATO’s senior civil representative in Afghanistan and a former Turkish foreign minister, added: “NATO is now going to be a neighbor of Pakistan. We have agreed we will co-operate more. “Western defense officials in Islamabad said that NATO wants Islamabad to help prevent future attacks on its troops in southern Afghanistan.

Discussions also focused on the possibility of Pakistan facilitating logistic support requirements through use of its port at Karachi and truck transport through its territory.

NATO and Pakistani officials in Brussels said negotiations on establishing such a line of communications is continuing.

“Pakistan is seen as part of the solution, but there are also concerns that it’s part of the problem as it has had links with groups such as the former Taliban regime. “NATO’s effort is to discourage Pakistan from being a bigger problem and encourage it to help find solutions”, one Western official said.

Indian Navy to put Barak-1 on most warships

The Indian Navy (IN) plans to equip most of its frontline warships with Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Barak-1 area air-defence missile systems over the next few months.

“Not  many navies can boast of this [Barak] techonology. In time, every one of our ships will be equipped with this missile”, IN chief Admiral Arun Prakash said earlier in May.

Vertically launched from eight cell modules, the Barak-1 system uses command-to-line-of-sight radar guidance to steer the missile over an 8-10 km range to intercept incoming missiles, hostile aircraft and unmanned drones.

Barak-1 launchers are currently operational on seven IN platforms. These include the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, two Type 15 Delhi-class destroyers, two Type 16 Godavari class frigates and two Rajput-class (Kashin II) destroyers. The three locally built Type 16A Brahmaputra class frigates should be armed with Barak-1 launchers before the year end from the seven IAI-built systems whose procurement has already been cleared.

The IN turned to the Barak after India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) failed, after some two decades of effort, to develop the quick-reaction, low-altitude surface-to-air Trishkul missile.

Earlier in 2006 IAI and the DRDO finalised a USD330 million deal to jointly develop a next-generation Barak missile system with an extended range. This will be fitted on future IN platforms, officials said.

In a related development, the IN has concluded negotiations for three additional Talwar-class (Project 1135.6 Krivak III) guided missile ‘stealth’ frigates from Russia for around USDI.25 billion and “in all likelihood” the deal should be inked within Fiscal Year 2006.

“The contract will be signed formally as soon as the Cabinet Committee on Security approves it”, a source told. The 4,000 –tonne warships should be inducted within five years of contract signature and will be equipped with the supersonic BrahMoS cruise Missile.

Separately, the IN is evaluating bids to fulfill its requirement for 16 medium-lift helicopters in a deal worth over USD1 billion.

Naval sources said offers have been received from EADS, Agusta Westland, Sikorsky, NH Industries and the US Navy. The 10-tonne helicopter would replace the navy’s 16 ageing Sea King MK 42Bs and sea King Mk 42Cs inducted into service in the mid-1980s. The navy reserves and option to buy eight extra helicopters to meet its overall shortfall of around 46 helicopters, sources said.

The IN is also considering proposals form six suppliers of maritime reconnaissance aircraft (MRA).