China launches 2nd advanced naval frigate for Pakistan

BEIJING: China has launched the second naval missile frigate equipped with an improved radar system and long-range missiles for Pakistan to help it bolster maritime defence and deterrence capabilities.

China launched the second Type 054A/P frigate for Pakistan on Friday at the at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai in Shanghai. The occasion coincides with the completion of 70 years of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations built upon historic bonds of friendship and mutual trust.

The Pakistan Navy has contracted the construction of four Type 054A/P frigates from China since 2017, and the first ship was launched in August 2020, media reported. All the ships are being delivered as per the planned schedule, said a statement by Pakistan Navy.

The Type 054A multi-purpose, guided-missile frigate is the mainstay of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, with 30 vessels in commission.

Commodore Azfar Humayun, Pakistan Navy Chief Naval Overseer, said at the launch ceremony that he acknowledges the commitment and hard work of China Shipbuilding Trading Company and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard to keep this important program on track in the difficult times of the ongoing global pandemic,

These will be some of the most technologically advanced platforms of the Pakistan Navy Surface Fleet, equipped with modern surface, subsurface and anti-air weapons, sensors and combat management systems, Chief of Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi, told the Chinese state-run media outlet in a recent interview.

“These ships will boost potency of our fleet and significantly contribute in maintaining peace and security in the region,” the Pakistani Admiral has said.

Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told the state-run media in a previous interview that the Type 054A is China’s most advanced frigate.

Compared with previous Chinese frigates, the new version has better air defense capability, as it is equipped with an improved radar system and a larger amount of missiles with a longer range, Zhang said, noting that the Type 054A frigate also has world-class stealth capability.