A Steel Cutting Ceremony of the first F22P Frigate, being built for Pakistan Navy, was held at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) on Thursday. Federal Minister for Defence Production, Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi, was the chief guest.
Ambassador of Peoples Republic of China in Pakistan, senior Chinese delegates and high-ranking Civil and military officials attended the ceremony from China and Pakistan. The construction of the first F22P Frigate at KSEW underlines the confidence of top policy/decision makers in Karachi Shipyard for undertaking the in-country construction of an extremely sophisticated modern Naval Platform, a KSEW announcement said.
It termed this as a major step forward in attainment of self-sufficiency and even export potential in the field of defence production. Moreover, it reflects the strategic direction of collaboration with the time-tested ally- China.
The F22P ships, it was further pointed out, are very capable frigates, which will add a great punch to our fleet and will be able to radiate potent power at sea.
These are 123-meter long ships with nearly 3,000 tons displacement and practically 30 knots of speed. These will be equipped with long range surface to surface missiles, Surface to Air missiles, torpedoes, latest automatic 76MM guns, state of the art Close in Weapon System, sophisticated long range sensors, radars SONARS, Electronic warfare systems and advanced command and control system. It will also carry an advanced helicopter.
These potent ships with lethal firepower will be a force to reckon with at sea. It will greatly enhance our capabilities in defending our maritime frontiers and interest at sea. On the occasion, the chief guest praised the remarkable turn around of KSEW and was impressed by seeing all departments buzzing with activity.
He appreciated the quality of work, skills and hard work of workers under the leadership of its managing director. The minister highlighted the importance of F22P Frigate project and its construction of KSEW through Transfer of Technology.
He showed his complete satisfaction that all pre-construction activities, eg training, upgradation and other preparatory works of the project have been managed in an efficient manner and in accordance with the stipulated schedule, thus enabling the first milestone of "steel cutting" exactly as per schedule.
Comments
Comments are closed.