ISTANBUL: The Chief of Pakistan Navy has said that the inclusion of Turkish-made state-of-the-art MILGEM-class ships will be a “huge boost to our defense” and will keep the country’s enemies at bay. The Corvette ships built for Pakistan Navy are equipped with surface-to-surface, surface-to-air weapon systems.
Speaking to Turkish news agency Anadolu, Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi said “weakness invites aggression, but strength keeps your enemy at bay. So, the inclusion of the MILGEM-class ships will significantly strengthen the Pakistan Navy in a very big way.”
The Naval Chief described MILGEM as a “truly collaborative military production,” saying, “these ships will be a very good addition to our fleet, ensuring that our (territorial) waters are safe and our defense needs are met.”
Lauding the two countries bilateral ties, Niazi said, “Pakistan and Türkiye have long relations based on mutual trust, friendship, and principles.”
“In times of need, the two countries have stood by each other, and we have stood by each other on all international events as well as the issues that the two countries face,” he added.
“The two countries have come much closer in the defense arena in the recent past as this MILGEM project is a testament to this fact,” he said, adding: “I have no doubt in my mind that such efforts will continue, and Pakistan and Türkiye are well on their way to becoming ‘two countries and one nation’.”
In response to a question about increased defense cooperation between the two nations, he noted: “Both militaries are continuously exchanging knowledge and expertise. Construction and upgradation projects such as 17,000 Ton Fleet Tanker, PN-MILGEM and Agosta 90B submarines, Super Mushak trainers, UAV drones, and so on are evidence of this strong friendship and military cooperation.”
He said the two sides are “extensively involved in broad-based engagements ranging from high-level visits to operational-level knowledge sharing and training collaboration.”
