Pakistan Navy Plans Modernization, Indigenization
Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Pakistan Navy Chief, spoke of his vision for "indigenization and modernization" of his branch of the Pakistani military on the eve of multinational AMAN 2025 naval exercises. Biennial AMAN Exercise and Dialogue this year attracted 60 nations from Australia to Zimbabwe (A to Z). China, the United States, Turkey and Japan were among the countries which participated in it.
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| Some of the AMAN 2025 Participants in Karachi, Pakistan |
Pakistan has a 1,000 kilometers long coastline on the Arabian Sea with maritime sovereignty over 200 nautical miles deep Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and 150 nautical miles of Continental Shelf. This adds 290,000 square kilometers of sea or about 36% of the country's land area open for tapping vast resources in it. Pakistan's "Blue Economy" in this extended economic zone includes seafood and energy resources as well as international trade connectivity with the rest of the world. It offers opportunities for water sports, recreation and tourism in the coastal areas of Pakistan.
Over the next 10 years, Pakistan has plans to build a modern well-equipped naval force with 50 ships ranging from frigates and submarines to corvettes and offshore patrol vessels. Recently, Pakistan Navy has inducted Type 054 A/P frigates from China, Offshore Patrol Vessels Batch-I and Batch-II from Romania and MILGEM-class corvette from Türkiye. "These platforms with the latest weapons and sensors will be a significant addition to the Pakistan Navy’s existing capabilities to effectively deal with today’s complex multi-threat environment", Ashraf told John Hill of "Naval Technology" publication. "The Jinnah-class frigate marks a significant advancement for my Navy as our first indigenously designed and produced large warship", he added.
As part of its modernization and indigenization effort, Pakistan is building its domestic defense industry to reduce dependence on imports. The Pakistani Navy Chief explained: "Currently, our industrial base is developing and gearing up for this initiative and we anticipate that our technological capabilities will grow throughout the program. This growth will be facilitated through partnerships with experienced defense partners from friendly countries". China and Turkey are Pakistan's closest partners in this effort. Pakistan’s defense acquisition budget is forecast to register a compound annual growth rate of 11.4% over the next four years: it is projected to reach $3.1 billion in 2029 from $2 billion in 2025, according to GlobalData intelligence.
In terms of military diplomacy, Pakistan is working with a much larger group of nations represented at the AMAN Exercises and Dialogue 2025. The list includes Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, China, Comoros, Czech, Djibouti, Egypt, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherland, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Seychelles, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Türkiye, UAE, Uganda, UK, USA and Zimbabwe.
Over two dozen ships from twelve navies participated in an international fleet review off the coast of Pakistan – the grand finale to multinational naval exercise AMAN 2025 that saw a record 60 nations participate, according to media reports.
Here's an Aljazeera video of AMAN 2025:
https://youtu.be/ghuOerEfNFs?si=o3N_a4IUsQ52ez5R
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Comments
https://quwa.org/pakistan-defence-industry/pakistan-and-turkiye-sign-agreements-on-ew-and-other-projects/
In terms of defence, the most notable agreements included an MoU for cooperating on air force-related electronic warfare (EW) as well as an MoU between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) and Pakistan’s Naval Research and Development Institute (NRDI).
Overall, it is unclear how much deal-making progress – if any – the MoUs represent, but these two deals could be a reflection of several ongoing Pakistani defence programs.
MoU on Air Force EW Technology
Through its official calendar and unofficial publication – Second to None – the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had confirmed it was seeking a new airborne stand-off range jamming (ASOJ) aircraft. The PAF also heavily implied that its recently acquired business jet, a single Bombardier Global Express 6000, would be the platform for this ASOJ aircraft.
It is possible that the recently signed MoU involved a commitment to either advance a deal centered on the Aselsan HAVASOJ suite, which could be integrated onto the PAF’s Global Express 6000, or to develop a bespoke solution.
Alternatively, the MoU could also speak to the PAF’s wider EW efforts, which involve a number of different homegrown programs. These programs include a communications EW (C-EW) for communications intelligence (COMINT) and multi-band jamming roles, GPS denial systems, passive electronic intelligence (ELINT) sensors, and many other systems for potential use by both the PAF and the Pakistan Army (PA).
While Pakistan is currently prioritizing domestic EW projects, the likes of the National Aerospace and Science Technology Park (NASTP), Defence Science and Technology Organization (DESTO), or National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) could be interested in drawing on Turkish technology inputs and expertise.
Interest in Turkish inputs would not conflict with Pakistan’s original EW project goals–it would be complementary. Pakistan lacks the industrial capacity to fully source each of the necessary inputs of its defence electronic programs, be it the EW projects or even the up and coming radar projects. Turkish vendors like Aselsan, Havelsan, Meteksan, and others could provide critical inputs, such as transmit/receive modules (TRMs), for example. Likewise, Turkish and Pakistani vendors could collaborate and jointly design and develop original solutions for the Pakistani military.
For example, instead of acquiring the Aselsan HAVASOJ, the PAF’s NASTP could tap Aselsan’s assistance to develop a custom ASOJ for the PAF. In this scenario, the PAF ASOJ would combine Pakistani-designed inputs with Turkish subsystems.
https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/pakistan-turkiye-to-boost-rd-collaboration
Pakistan's commerce minister said Wednesday that Türkiye and Pakistan are dedicated to strengthening cooperation in advanced research and development sectors.
Jam Kamal Khan made the remarks during his visit to the Turkish Aerospace Pakistan office at the National Science and Technology Park in Islamabad, a statement by his ministry said.
The visit aimed to highlight the growing collaboration between the two countries, as well as to explore the innovative initiatives being undertaken within Pakistan’s advanced research and development sectors.
Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroglu, who received the minister, underscored the strong bilateral relations and Türkiye’s commitment to fostering technological and economic cooperation with Pakistan.
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is a leading player in the aerospace and defense industry, known for its advanced technological capabilities and cutting-edge defense solutions.
Turkish Aerospace Pakistan focuses on strengthening collaboration in the aerospace and defense sectors while providing opportunities for technology transfer, research and development, knowledge exchange, and innovation.
Khan expressed support for the ongoing efforts at Turkish Aerospace Pakistan and emphasized the importance of fostering partnerships between the government, academia, and the private sector.
"The visit further strengthened Pakistan’s commitment to building a robust aerospace and technology ecosystem that can contribute to the country’s economic and technological growth,’ the statement said.
Last week, Pakistan and Türkiye signed 24 cooperation agreements during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Islamabad. The deals included a memorandum between TAI and the Pakistan Maritime Research and Development Institute.
by Dr Sahibzada Usman
https://www.eurasiareview.com/07032025-pakistans-maritime-vision-transforming-gwadar-into-a-global-trade-hub-oped/
In order to make Pakistan a global maritime hub, the country is developing its major ports such as Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar on massive infrastructure development program. Presently, Pakistan’s ports are working at 50 per cent of their potential capacity, resulting into inefficiencies that are stifling further trade expansion. Pakistan’s investment in deep sea facilities, container terminals and modern logistics is aimed at bringing port capacity to maximum and improving its trade operations. To increase port efficiency, the government intends to make the port digitalized, automated, and have an improved cargo handling mechanism to house giant vessels of up to 20,000 containers.
Especially, Gwadar is the focus of these modernization efforts. Given this, Gwadar is set to become a regional transshipment hub for achieving regional trade needs in Asia, Middle East and Africa, as Gwadar is an important economic driver supported by the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Free zones, warehousing facility, integrated customs management system are some of the serious infrastructure upgrades the port is undergoing to facilitate seamless trade operations.
Being situated between Arabian Sea and having good access to global trade routes, Pakistan has the potential to become one of the regional trade powerhouses. And, for the government of Azerbaijan the maritime sector is identified as a key driver for economic growth and the country’s geographic advantage is to be used in order to create the trade connectivity with Central Asian Republics (CARs), Gulf States and beyond. Investment in modern transport corridors, rail networks and road infrastructure linking Gwadar with regional markets will allow Pakistan to become a gateway to trade around the world.
Moreover, Pakistan’s maritime vision is aimed at growing exports from $32 billion to $60 billion by using ports to maximum capacity. The country can reduce the related logistics costs, and improve port efficiency to give local exporters a competitive advantage that will create a more favorable ease of doing business and increase participation in international trade.
In order to sustain in the long term, attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in maritime sector of Pakistan is essential. The government is planning policies to make Pakistan’s port infrastructure more investor friendly with increasing global interest in Pakistan’s port infrastructure. They encourage the development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) near ports, tax incentives for shipping companies and public private partnership in logistics and maritime industries, for the purpose of economic growth.
PLA Navy now fields more warships than US Navy and is on track to deploy 425-ship fleet by 2030, sustained by industrial base capable of replacing, repairing vessels way faster than US yards.
SNEHESH ALEX PHILIP
https://theprint.in/defence/from-competing-to-beating-us-in-numbers-and-tonnage-heres-how-china-built-its-shipping-empire/2546925/
New Delhi: The Indian Navy had plans to become a 200-ship strong force by 2027. But in 2019, it revised its target downwards to 170, citing an acute financial crunch. Contrast this to the Chinese. Over the past two decades, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has grown from a modest coastal force into a regional juggernaut with frigates, destroyers, submarines and aircraft carriers being constructed and commissioned at record speed.
As of 2022, the PLAN was operating a battle force fleet of 351 ships, surpassing the US Navy’s 294.
According to the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), China has already overtaken the US Navy in terms of hull count, and is rapidly closing the gap in fleet tonnage and key technologies like Vertical Launch System (VLS) missile cells. By 2024, China’s surface combatants deployed half the VLS cells of their US counterparts, up from just a quarter in 2019.
This stark growth is compounded by the fact that China’s naval forces are primarily concentrated in the Indo-Pacific, whereas US forces are globally dispersed.
Since 2010, China has dramatically reduced the tonnage gap with the US from roughly 4 million tons to under 1.6 million tons.
China’s emergence as a global shipbuilding powerhouse began with key policy changes that were initiated in the early 2000s. Recognizing that the rapid growth of containerized maritime trade would be a boon for global shipbuilders, Beijing began developing ambitious plans to position Chinese firms at the forefront of the industry. In 2002, Zhu Rongji, China’s premier and chief economic architect at the time, visited the headquarters of CSSC, where he declared that China would seek “to become the largest shipbuilding country by 2015”.
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China’s shipbuilding dominance a national security risk for US: Report
https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2025/03/11/chinas-shipbuilding-dominance-a-national-security-risk-for-us-report/
In only two decades, China has grown to be the dominant player in shipbuilding, claiming more than half of the world’s commercial shipbuilding market, while the U.S. share has fallen to just 0.1%, posing serious economic and national security challenges for the U.S. and its allies, according to a report released Tuesday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
In 2024 alone, one Chinese shipbuilder constructed more commercial vessels by tonnage than the entire U.S. shipbuilding industry has built since the end of World War II. China already has the world’s largest naval fleet, the Washington-based bipartisan think tank said in its 75-page report.
“The erosion of U.S. and allied shipbuilding capabilities poses an urgent threat to military readiness, reduces economic opportunities, and contributes to China’s global power-projection ambitions,” the report said.
Concerns about the poor state of U.S. shipbuilding have been growing in recent years, as the country faces rising challenges from China, which has the world’s second-largest economy and has ambitions to reshape the world order. At a congressional hearing in December, senior officials and lawmakers urged action.
Last week, President Donald Trump told Congress that his Republican administration would “resurrect” the American shipbuilding industry, for commercial and military vessels, and he would create “a new office of shipbuilding in the White House.”
“We used to make so many ships,” Trump said. “We don’t make them anymore very much, but we’re going to make them very fast, very soon. It will have a huge impact.”
India's arms imports mainly from Russia, France and Israel.
Ukraine's from US, Germany and Poland.
Pakistan's from China, Netherlands and Turkey
https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2025/ukraine-worlds-biggest-arms-importer-united-states-dominance-global-arms-exports-grows-russian
https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/top-10-listing/top-10-largest-arms-importing-countries-2020-2024-indias-position-revealed-9880245/
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Chinese arms made up 81 per cent of Pakistan’s weapons imports in the past five years, as Islamabad buys more advanced systems from its long-standing Asian defence partner, according to data from Swedish think tank SIPRI.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3302515/china-supplied-81-pakistans-arms-imports-past-5-years-sipri-says
That was up 7 percentage points from the previous five-year period to 2019, when 74 per cent of Pakistan’s arms imports came from China, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute database shows.
The boost comes amid a huge push in China to improve self-reliance in its defence industry – from aircraft carriers to sixth-generation fighter jets – which has also seen it expand the range of weapons it can offer to its strategic partners.
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“The apparent willingness of China to supply or at least talk about supplying some of its more advanced weapons to Pakistan shows China’s trust in Pakistan,” said Siemon Wezeman, a senior arms transfers researcher at SIPRI.
China has been Pakistan’s primary arms supplier since the 1990s. But Pakistan’s tensions with India – especially since a series of border skirmishes broke out in 2016 – have prompted Islamabad to increase defence spending, and that has drawn it closer to Beijing.
Beijing avoids formal alliances but Wezeman said it could be seen as “Pakistan’s only real ‘ally’, the only one to depend on when dealing with India”.
At the same time, Pakistan plays a similar role for Beijing and is “the only one that at this moment could give China a secure access to a base on the Indian Ocean and near the Middle East”.
In April last year, China launched the first of eight Hangor II submarines to be delivered to Pakistan in a deal worth around US$5 billion – one of the most valuable military contracts China has signed.
According to the SIPRI database, some of Pakistan’s key orders in the past five years include the country’s first spy ship, the Rizwan, more than 600 VT-4 battle tanks, and 36 J-10CE 4.5-generation fighters.
The first delivery of multirole J-10CE fighter jets arrived in Pakistan in 2022, adding to its JF-17 fighters – a backbone model that makes up the bulk of Pakistan’s fleet.
The fourth-generation JF-17 was jointly developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group in a programme that dates back to 1999.
The Block III version of JF-17 – featuring an active electronically scanned array radar – was inducted by the Pakistan Air Force in 2023.
Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former PLA instructor, said China might also export its fifth-generation fighter jet, the J-35, “if Pakistan requests it”.
He said that since India was considering adding the American F-35 or Russian Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets to its fleet, Pakistan was likely to be considering its options too.
China also delivered a range of surface-to-air missiles and defence systems to Pakistan between 2020 and 2024, according to SIPRI. They included a long-range HQ-9 system with around 70 missiles, some 200 medium-range LY-80s, and about 890 low-altitude portable FN-6 missiles.
https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/naval/naval-submersibles/chinese-builder-launches-pakistan-navys-second-hangor-class-submarine
The Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group of China has launched the second boat of a new class of diesel-electric attack submarines ordered by the Pakistan Navy.
The future PNS Shushuk ("River dolphin") and another three Hangor-class submarines, including class lead boat PNS Hangor, will be built in China while the remaining four boats will be constructed in Pakistan by Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works.
All eight Hangor-class boats will be variants of the Type 039A or Yuan-class submarines being operated by the People's Liberation Army Navy of China.
Upon completion, the future Shushuk will have a length of 76 metres, a hull diameter of 8.4 metres, a displacement of 2,800 tonnes, air-independent propulsion, and armament consisting of torpedoes, cruise missiles, and anti-ship missiles.
The Hangor-class submarines will be operated on anti-access/area denial operations.
The second Hangor-class submarine is also the second Pakistan Navy submarine to be named Shushuk. The first was a French-built Daphné-class boat that operated under the Pakistani flag from 1970 to 2006.
Stocked with high-tech weaponry to protect against enemy submarines, missiles and drones, the Constellation was meant to address an embarrassing reality: The U.S. is now the global laggard in building warships. The U.S. chose a proven design from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in an effort to speed the process. Then the Navy started tinkering. Now, after 4½ years of design and construction, the project is only 10% complete, WSJ reports.
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https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/warship-shows-why-u-s-navy-is-falling-behind-china-94cb9a87
When a Wisconsin shipyard won the contract to build a new class of Navy frigate in 2020, the project was meant to address an embarrassing reality: The U.S. is now the global laggard in building warships.
Stocked with high-tech weaponry to protect against enemy submarines, missiles and drones, the USS Constellation was expected to be ready for the open water in 2026. That was because the U.S. chose a proven design from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri FCT -1.43%decrease; red down pointing triangle in an effort to speed the process.
Then the Navy started tinkering.
The hull was lengthened by 24 feet to accommodate larger generators and reconfigured in part because the design was based on the relatively benign conditions in the Mediterranean, and the propeller changed for better acoustic performance, among other time-consuming adjustments.
The effect: Like almost all other U.S. naval vessels, the Constellation is already years behind schedule and millions over budget.
Physical construction began in mid-2022, and after more than 2½ years, the project is only 10% complete, according to a person familiar with the timeline.
At this pace, including the two years of design time before building began, the ship will be completed in a total of nine years—around twice as long as it took an Italian shipyard to build the vessels it is based on. The Constellation, the first in what is expected to be around 20 to be built, is projected to cost at least $600 million more than its original estimate of $1.3 billion.
The Constellation’s slow production and extra costs help explain why almost nobody wants to buy new American warships—even as allies clamor for U.S. fighter jets and other weapons.
A festering problem for the U.S. has turned into an acute one, as the world order shifts rapidly and the Pentagon gears up for a potential conflict in Asia that experts believe would be fought in large part on the seas.
The issue is top of mind for President Trump, who is racing to address the problem even as his tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum would likely increase the cost of the domestically produced metals shipbuilders use.
Trump said in his speech to Congress this month that his administration wants to create a new Office of Shipbuilding, with the goal of producing more of both commercial and military vessels. The administration is also preparing an executive order aimed at reviving U.S. shipbuilding and cutting Chinese dominance in the industry.
China years ago leapfrogged America in making naval craft faster and for less money. From 2014 to 2023, China’s navy launched 157 ships while the U.S. launched 67, according to independent defense analyst Tom Shugart. The Chinese fleet is now the world’s largest, although the U.S. Navy says the quality of its ships are still better.
Most countries are faster at building. Of 20 different frigates made recently or set for completion soon in 10 different countries, all but one were or will be built in less time than the U.S.’s Constellation, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. Frigates are the medium-size warships used for submarine warfare and escorting larger ships, among other tasks. U.S. construction of destroyers, the larger, heavily armed warships, is also slower than other countries.
The PAF releases footage highlighting its ‘potent’ PL-15 missiles and a radar system described as a ‘game-changer’
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3308808/pakistan-air-force-showcases-advanced-chinese-weapons-tensions-escalate-india
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has released footage showing it has armed its combat aircraft with long-range Chinese missiles.
The footage, published online on Tuesday comes amid spiralling tensions with India following a terrorist attack in Kashmir last month that killed 26 people. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan for the incident, but Islamabad has denied any links to the attackers.
The three-minute video showed warplanes, including the JF-17 fighter, armed with Chinese-made PL-15 missiles and described them as the “PAF’s potent punch”.
The PL-15, originally developed for the fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter, is China’s most advanced fighter-to-fighter missile and is reported to have an engagement range of 200km to 300km (125-185 miles).
Although other weapons that featured in the video were labelled as being the export version, the PAF did not say
However, military analysts also said Pakistan’s biggest advantage was likely to lie in the Chinese-made active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system fitted to the JF-17.
Jointly developed by Pakistan and China, the JF-17 is a lightweight, fourth-generation multirole fighter. The planes have featured in previous clashes between the Indian and Pakistani militaries and are confirmed to have shot down an Indian MiG-21 in 2019.
Retired Taiwanese major general Li Cheng-chieh told the Taiwanese broadcaster CTi on Tuesday that the Chinese-made KLJ-7A radar was the “real game-changer” for the JF-17, adding that “situational awareness is the first priority in modern warfare”.
The KLJ-7A can detect fighter-sized targets at 170km and track them at 120km. It can simultaneously monitor 15 targets and engage four.
India’s air force is equipped with Russian MiGs and French Rafale jets, but the Doppler radar fitted to the latter has a lock-on range of 60km and is no match for the system used by the PAF, according to Li.
“The KLJ-7A offers 360-degree coverage and can lock on to threats at more than twice the range of the Rafale’s radar,” Li said.
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, also said radar and air-to-air missiles were the key elements in modern aerial warfare and said: “This shift allows lightweight platforms like Pakistan’s JF-17 to challenge India’s heavier jets.”
Fu said Pakistan’s advanced Chinese-made equipment could create a clear asymmetric advantage. “If tensions escalate, the side that sees first and fires first may well reshape the balance of power in South Asia’s skies.”
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According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, which cited an unnamed Pakistani military official, four Indian Rafale fighter jets were detected over the disputed region and later retreated after Pakistan scrambled its own warplanes.
The PAF video also featured an array of other Chinese made weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, early warning aircraft and the J-10CE, another fourth-plus generation multirole fighter.
Data released by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China in 2022 suggested the J-10CE matched the PLA’s J-10C, with a top speed of Mach 1.8, a service ceiling of 18,000 metres (59,000 feet), and a combat radius of 1,240km – extendable to 2,600km with refuelling.
The J-10CE reportedly features 1,200 transmit-receive radar modules – about 50 per cent more than the Rafale – giving it an edge in beyond-visual-range combat.
Retired Air Commodore Khalid Farooq told Pakistan’s Public News channel on Saturday that the J-10CE surpassed the Rafale in key combat areas. “India has just bought Rafale … a good aircraft, but we are ahead in first-look and first-shot capability,” he said.
by Thomas Harding, security and policy editor covering Westminster politics and European affairs
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/asia/2025/05/09/india-pakistan-aerial-combat-chinese-air-to-air-missiles/
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At least one of the French-supplied advanced Rafale fighters was destroyed by a hypersonic PL-15 missile fired by the Pakistan Air Force from a distance of more than 100km on Wednesday, it has been reported.
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Another key point, also witnessed in the Russian-Ukraine war, is that electronic warfare is becoming vital to battlefield survival, with the Indian aircraft not apparently equipped with a key radar jammer unlike British and US jets.
China has invested heavily in what experts called “a gold standard” Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar capability, which allows it to miniaturise the system and put it inside a 200kg missile. By comparison Raytheon's Phantomstrike missile is miniaturised at 60kg.
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“We've now seen Chinese weapons in action and the big question mark over the Chinese military build-up has been is their stuff actually any good?” said Tim Ripley, editor of the Defence Eye website. “This suggests that it is.”
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Once fired the PL-15E is blasted by a rocket booster to hypersonic speed of Mach 5 (6,200kph) then guided onto target by the J-10C fighter’s radar before, in the closing stages, switching to its own Aesa radar.
It can then hone in with accuracy with a second burst of speed being injected about 10km from target making it extremely difficult to evade.
Radar jammers
However, if the Rafales had been fitted with Aesa, then this would likely have picked up the threat from some distance.
An Aesa radar would have potentially allowed the Rafale to jam the Pakistan fighter and the missile in its closing stages as it allows the jet to create of beam of focused electronic noise.
“It makes it really quick to neutralise a threat from one of these missiles,” said Mr Ripley.
However, even if equipped with Aesa it is questionable whether the Rafale could have dodged the missile, said a leading defence company aviation expert.
While the radar “would help” its defences, missiles such as the PL-15E are so potent that “once you've been locked on by one it's very difficult to get away from the kill zone because those missiles are so quick,” he added.
Furthermore, if the missile detects jamming then it has the ability to quickly jump to another frequency.
French blushes
What is certain is that the Rafale wreckage, found near the Indian city of Bathinda, will be “pored over by the French because they really will want to know what happened,” said Paul Beaver, a military aviation expert.
Further humiliation for the Indians, as well as the French, was that its air force operates a wing of 36 Rafale F3Rs, the warplane’s most advanced version.
The aviation company source called it a “big, big blow to the French” because Rafale had been “touted as a cheap alternative” to the RAF Typhoon and American fighters.
“While pilot training could be part of the problem if you don't have the best equipment, then you are at a disadvantage,” he added.
There is a suggestion that the shoot-downs could be attributed to pilot error although it also proves Pakistan’s aerial combat skills.
“This demonstrates that the Pakistan Air Force is as effective as everyone always thinks it is. It's smaller than India’s but makes up for it in training and motivation,” Mr Beaver said.
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Distant dogfights
The aerial battle also marks the start of a new era of aerial warfare in which the incident showed the “very interesting development in long range missile snipers,” said Mr Ripley.
“Long range air-to-air combat is now a big trend in aerial warfare,” he added. “On the back of this lots of the air forces will be busy trying to revamp their electronic warfare effectiveness trying to neutralise these missiles. It’s a big growth area.”
While the Pakistan Navy might be smaller in size compared to some regional counterparts, it is actively pursuing technological advancements and modernization to enhance its capabilities.
Here's a breakdown of aspects related to the Pakistan Navy's size and technological focus:
1. Size and Context:
Smaller Fleet: Compared to the Indian Navy, for instance, the Pakistan Navy has a smaller fleet size, according to Warpower: Pakistan.
Resource Constraints: The Pakistan Navy operates within a resource-constrained environment.
2. Technological Advancements:
Modernization Efforts: The Pakistan Navy is actively engaged in modernizing its fleet with new acquisitions and indigenous development.
Focus on Technology: The Navy is emphasizing the use of technology and innovation to improve its combat readiness and address evolving threats.
Key Areas of Advancement:
Submarines: Acquiring modern submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP).
Frigates: Inducting advanced frigates like the MILGEM-class corvettes.
Unmanned Systems: Investing in unmanned technologies, including drones and remotely operated vehicles.
Air Defense Systems: Strengthening air defense capabilities with new systems.
Maritime Patrol Aircraft: Upgrading its maritime patrol aircraft capabilities.
Indigenous Capabilities: Pakistan is also focusing on developing indigenous naval capabilities and shipbuilding.
3. Strategic Considerations:
Defensive Posture: The Pakistan Navy's strategy is primarily defensive, focused on protecting its coastline and maritime interests.
Regional Dynamics: The Navy operates within the context of regional naval power dynamics, particularly with India.
In Conclusion:
The Pakistan Navy might be smaller than some of its regional counterparts, but it's focused on enhancing its capabilities through technological advancements, modernization, and indigenous development efforts.
@Munimusing
India may suffer billions in damages and a permanent blow to its blue-water ambitions – and the world will finally settle its debate on the satellite imagery of Pakistan’s early bet on niche, smart-tech asymmetry. The Pakistan Navy’s high-tech, pack-hunting midget submarines – fitted with modular, mission-specific pods for ISR, ASW, and strike – were designed for such a moment. Surgical, quiet, and lethal.
Yet this moment of reckoning wasn’t born of strategy; it was scripted by domestic politics. Indian leadership – obsessed with optics – pushed its military into theatrical deployments for electoral headlines. That recklessness has now imperilled the entire Indo-Pacific balance. If Delhi continues to demand visible retaliation or salvaging of prestige, it risks provoking preemptive shifts in both Chinese and Pakistani nuclear postures. Strategic restraint cannot survive repeated tampering by political amateurs. What begins as showmanship may spiral into full-spectrum escalation – beyond the control of any regional actor.
Unlike India’s overstretched and accident-prone underwater fleet, Pakistan has played a precise, quiet game at sea. Between 2016 and 2022, PN detected and filmed four Indian submarine intrusions – in 2016, 2019, 2021, and most critically, on 1 March 2022. The 2022 interception exposed India’s most advanced underwater asset: a Kalvari-class Scorpène. By tracking it inside operational waters, PN burned its acoustic profile – permanently compromising its stealth. It cannot be risked in high-threat zones again. For submarines, that is a kill without firing a shot.
This isn’t new. The Pakistan Navy has a history of overperformance under constraints – from striking Dwarka in 1965 to sinking INS Khukri in 1971, it has always punched above its weight. That doctrine of disruption remains alive in every officer today.
Apart from that, India’s submarine force has suffered chronic readiness failures and basic seamanship issues. In 2018, India’s $2.9 billion SSBN INS Arihant was out of commission for nearly a year due to flooding from a hatch left open while docked. Let that sink in!
In 2017, its leased nuclear attack sub INS Chakra was damaged entering Visakhapatnam. In 2024, a Kalvari-class Scorpène submarine collided with a fishing vessel northwest of Goa, resulting in two deaths. Even India’s legacy boats have fared no better – with the Sindhughosh colliding with a civilian boat in 2015.
This is more evident in India’s aircraft carriers. Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant are 70s-era concepts re-skinned with vulnerable tech. The GE LM2500 propulsion system is cyber-prone. The Shakti EW suite is rudimentary. L-band radars are inadequate for strike projection and can hardly protect, and the MiG-29Ks onboard offer little beyond visual-range optics. These are not instruments of deterrence – they are $6 billion liabilities.
In contrast, Pak Navy’s air-sea integration has matured in parallel. Pakistan’s legacy P-3C Orions, despite their age, have outperformed Indian Poseidons in actual detection and engagement theatres. Multiple PN’s AIP submarines have silently breached Indian waters undetected – and these are the same class of subs that routinely shadow US supercarriers in exercises. Indian Navy stands no chance.
Pakistani naval officers were reportedly hoping India’s carriers would enter their predefined kill web rehearsed for a decisive hit. Now famed CM-400AKG – PAF spec’d and OEM produced – was envisaged to destroy carriers actually and it was a tweaked version that destroyed Indian S-400s. Publicly listed at 240–290 km range, its true envelope remains classified. Its quasi-ballistic profile and terminal hypersonic velocity were designed from the outset to defeat moving carrier targets. There’s nothing in whole Indian inventory to counter that. Let the Indian Navy make its move, and the genius behind that design will be fully realised.
https://x.com/Munimusing/status/1928795359540621666
@Munimusing
This isn’t about symbolism. It’s about hard, technical overmatch. Pakistan’s naval deterrent has been calibrated, integrated, and field-proven. India has exposed its best assets – and lost them – to a quieter, faster, more adaptive doctrine.
Platforms don’t win wars. Doctrine does. Discipline does. Integration does.
And the Pakistan Navy will run the same script the PAF ran: precise, humiliating, and irreversible.
https://x.com/Munimusing/status/1928795359540621666
By Farhan Bokhari | 04 June 2025
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/air/pakistan-to-start-inducting-fc-31-fighters
China is set to start supplying the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) with its Shenyang FC-31 ‘Gyrfalcon' multirole stealth fighter aircraft, a senior Pakistani government official has told Janes.
The FC-31 aircraft “will begin arriving within months”, the official said recently, while also confirming that PAF pilots are in China undergoing training to fly the aircraft. The official did not disclose any terms of the deal, including the date it was signed.
In May another Pakistan government official told Janes that the procured FC-31 will be equipped with China's PL-17 air-to-air missile (AAM), which has a range of about 400 km.
Pakistani officials have not confirmed the number of platforms to be supplied to the PAF, although Janes has previously reported that the PAF was in talks to acquire 30–40 aircraft.
The FC-31 is likely to become the first major Chinese military platform to be inducted by Pakistan following the end of its 7–10 May conflict with India.
Search Labs | AI Overview
Yes, Pakistan Navy assets are networked with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) as part of their efforts to achieve inter-services integration and enhance interoperability.
Evidence of Networking:
Joint Exercises: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Navy (PN) conduct joint exercises like "Sea Spark" and "RIBAT-2018" to validate war fighting concepts and enhance interoperability between naval and air assets.
Networking of Key Assets: There is evidence that Pakistan has an objective of integrating key assets such as AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft and surface warships through networking.
Data Link System: Pakistan has developed a homegrown data link system known as "Link-17" to facilitate data-link connectivity between the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This suggests an effort towards achieving tactical operational benefits through integrated communication.
Air Support and Interoperability: The Pakistan Air Force provides essential air support to the Pakistan Navy to cover aerial threats, especially for the PN which lacks a credible medium-to-long-range anti-air warfare capability from its surface fleet. Joint exercises like RIBAT-2018 contribute to improving interoperability between the two services.
JF-17 Integration: The PAF's JF-17 fighter aircraft have been tested and equipped to deploy anti-ship missiles like the C-802AK. This further indicates integration and coordination between the two services.
In summary, the Pakistan Armed Forces, including the Navy and Air Force, have taken steps towards greater integration and networking of their assets, conducting joint exercises and developing data link systems to enhance interoperability and operational effectiveness.
@iwasnevrhere_
Denial Geometry: Pakistan’s Maritime Doctrine in the Age of Cognitive Navies
India’s naval posture stretches like glass across a basin of sonar. Pakistan doesn’t match it. It shapes the water around it, distorting returns, masking emissions, absorbing thrust. Where Delhi parades a carrier group bloated with Western telemetry, Pakistan sculpts the seafloor and spectrum to sever perception from presence. To the naked eye it’s deterrence, in reality it’s epistemic collapse, engineered.
The hardened layer begins where most doctrine ends: cable depth. The Gwadar–Ormara–Karachi fiber spine, routed as part of the China–Pakistan Information Corridor, carries more than civilian throughput. Segments are reinforced, buried deeper, and isolated from international BGP pathways, terminating at Huawei-backed terrestrial nodes under direct SSG and ISI oversight. Satellite uplinks at Gwadar, paired with BeiDou sync via ground augmenters and PAKSAT-1R, allow sub-200ms C2 from node to vessel. These cables aren’t just resistant to tap, they form part of the denial mesh itself. Brillouin-based acoustic sensing detects pressure variance from subsurface displacement. Every cable becomes a sensor. The ocean floor begins to listen.
Karachi’s landing of SEA-ME-WE-5, operated through PTCL with Huawei switching gear, grants Pakistan access to a civilian-military choke valve. During escalation windows, portions of the bandwidth are rerouted, cloaked, or packet-shaped using programmable flow tables. Unlike India, whose reliance on Western IXPs creates foreign-observable metadata trails, Pakistan’s routing stays interiorized. It controls the fiber, the relay, the routing protocol, and the fallback uplink.
Above the floor, the AIS spectrum war plays out. Pakistan’s spoofing grid, anchored near Pasni, Jiwani, and the Makran coast, injects false telemetry into both orbital feeds and regional surveillance networks. Class-B AIS transponders aboard fishing trawlers and drone motherships emit ghost signals timed to match orbital passes by satellite AIS providers like exactEarth and ORBCOMM. Tracks are designed to simulate merchant movement patterns, bulk carriers, tankers, or off-pattern oilers, mirroring Chinese South China Sea tactics. This is a naval hallucination field. It draws enemy ISR into predictable reaction loops, diverts threat analysis teams, and forces signal saturation.
Signals are injected via CETC-sourced SDR arrays, using directional antennas synced to coastal BeiDou timestamps. VHF Channel 70 spoofing overwhelms legitimate Class-A emissions in the area, particularly targeting India’s reliance on open-transponder maritime surveillance. Symbol timing is fine-tuned to bleed into time-division multiplexing slots, crafting illusions that bleed into maritime fusion centers. Repeated SAR-AIS mismatches logged near Gwadar in 2024 and early 2025 are not artifacts, but operational byproducts of a denial mesh tuned for misrecognition.
The passive radar arc strung along the coast from Ormara to the Indus Delta leverages ambient S-band emissions, including India’s own radar pulses. These nodes, likely sourced from China’s CETC 38th Institute, require no transmission. They collect reflected RF from Indian platforms like P-8I aircraft and Talwar-class frigates, allowing Pakistan to track movement in real time without announcing its own presence. These systems are triangulated using synchronized BeiDou clocks and networked across fiber, forming an invisible net through which no emission passes unnoticed.
https://x.com/iwasnevrhere_/status/1932275495552385363
https://www.overtdefense.com/2025/06/18/pakistan-signs-4-6-billion-jf-17-fighter-jet-deal-with-azerbaijan/
Pakistan has signed a $4.6 billion defense agreement with Azerbaijan to supply 40 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, along with a $2 billion accompanying investment package. The government called this a record-breaking deal, which is by far the largest defense export in Pakistan’s history. Azerbaijan had originally ordered 16 JF-17s from Pakistan, but the new contract expands that purchase to 40 aircraft. The extra $2 billion investment portion of the deal is intended to cover joint industrial and infrastructure projects between the two countries.
The JF-17 Thunder itself is a lightweight, fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft co-developed by Pakistan and China. It was created as a modern, cost-effective fighter to replace older jets in Pakistan’s fleet (like the Mirage III and Chinese F-7). Powered by a single Russian-designed Klimov RD-93 turbofan engine, the JF-17 can reach speeds of about Mach 1.6 (roughly 1,900 km/h). It has excellent climb performance and can operate above 55,000 ft altitude. In combat loadout, it carries one twin-barrel 23 mm GSh-23 cannon and can mount roughly 3,400 kg of ordnance on eight external hardpoints, making it versatile for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Azerbaijan will get the latest Block III variant of the Thunder that has a modern Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and a fully digital avionics suite. It is compatible with advanced Chinese missiles. For air combat, it can employ long-range PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles and short-range infrared PL-10 missiles. The upgraded jet also includes a glass cockpit with a helmet-mounted targeting display to improve pilot situational awareness. Its weapons can include radar-guided BVR missiles, heat-seeking missiles, laser-guided bombs, anti-radiation missiles (to suppress enemy air defenses), and even anti-ship and cruise missiles for maritime or strategic strikes. Pakistan will further equip the new jets with ASELPOD electro-optical targeting pods (an advanced precision targeting system) before delivery.
The JF-17 deal is part of Azerbaijan’s broader effort to modernize its air force after recent conflicts. Deliveries of the 40 jets are expected to take place in phases over the coming years, including training programs for Azerbaijani pilots and technicians. Overall, the $4.6 billion fighter-jet sale (plus a $2 billion investment package) significantly deepens the Pakistan–Azerbaijan military relationship. The JF-17 Thunder’s delivery will modernize the Azerbaijani air force while marking a new era of defense cooperation for both countries.
Türkiye is positioning itself in three crucial geographical, geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geostrategic hubs, where these countries act as 'key allies' in the Southeast and South Asia region
Md. Nazmul Islam |
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/opinion/opinion-turkiye-s-asia-anew-initiative-strengthening-ties-with-malaysia-indonesia-and-pakistan/3483433
Nations such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan perceive Türkiye as a reliable ally, believing that if they were to face external challenges, Türkiye would be among the first or possibly the only country to offer support
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What makes Asia a priority, and why were Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan chosen?
In recent times, global politics has been shifting significantly, largely due to China’s rise and its strategic influence, particularly in Asia. The USA's response to China’s expansion further underscores the region’s growing geopolitical importance. Additionally, initiatives such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or BRICS, alongside the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), or AUKUS, highlight why Asia remains a focal point for international politics, especially for nations aspiring to attain great power status.
Given this perspective, it is obvious that Türkiye, following its crucial role, advocacy, and support, if needed for Syria, Azerbaijan, Somalia, or Qatar, is on the path to becoming an emerging great power. However, to achieve this goal, Türkiye needs more reliable partners and strong allies. In this context, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan stand out as strategic choices, offering Türkiye the necessary support and opportunities to establish a stronger presence in the region.
Strategically, the geopolitical significance of these three countries explains why Türkiye has chosen to strengthen its cooperation with them. Türkiye is positioning itself in three crucial geographical, geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geostrategic hubs, where these countries act as "key allies" in the Southeast and South Asia region. The entire partnership is founded on a mutually beneficial ‘win-win’ cooperation.
Türkiye aims to prioritize expanding trade and economic ties, followed by enhancing defense cooperation through this partnership. Malaysia and Indonesia are particularly strategic choices for Türkiye due to their significant geoeconomic and geostrategic positions, as both hold strong economic influence globally and regionally. While the partnership initially focused on economic collaboration, both Malaysia and Indonesia have shown a keen interest in deepening defense relations. Türkiye already has a strong defense presence in these countries, with ASELSAN operating a branch in Malaysia and BAYKAR recently signing a major defense partnership with Indonesia during the latest visit. This demonstrates a shared commitment to expanding collaboration beyond trade to include cultural, educational, and broader economic cooperation.
Pakistan’s inclusion is also crucial due to its significant geopolitical role for Türkiye, particularly in shaping its future role in international politics. As highlighted by President Erdogan’s recent visit, Türkiye is seeking not only to expand trade with Pakistan but also to establish a stronger geostrategic and geo-security presence in Central and West Asia. Looking ahead, Türkiye’s growing engagement in Central Asia will be more effective with a solid foothold in Pakistan. To achieve this, Türkiye should prioritize forging a robust defense pact with Pakistan, which could later be expanded to include countries like Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Such a strategic alliance would bolster Türkiye’s regional leadership while allowing it to maintain an independent stance without being drawn into the power struggle between the USA and China.
@PakDefTeam
The LABGENE (Laboratório de Geração de Energia Nucleoelétrica) is the Brazilian Navy’s full-scale, land-based prototype for nuclear propulsion, situated at the Navy Technological Centre in São Paulo (CTMSP) and the Aramar facility in Iperó. As part of the Navy Nuclear Program (PNM), LABGENE replicates the nuclear plant of the future nuclear submarine, Álvaro Alberto, comprising primary reactor systems, steam generators, turbogenerators, and a dynamometric brake that simulates the actual submarine shaft resistance.
In collaboration with Nuclep, the Navy Directorate for Nuclear and Technological Development (DDNM), and CTMSP, LABGENE assembles, tests, and validates key reactor components, such as heat exchangers, accumulator vessels, containment tanks, and control instrumentation.
Beyond submarine propulsion, LABGENE stimulates broader industrial and scientific advancement in areas like uranium fuel cycle mastery and civilian nuclear R&D Now in advanced stages of assembly and equipment delivery, it's a cornerstone of Brazil’s strategic goal to commission its first nuclear-powered submarine by the early 2030s.
Under the recent Brazil–Pakistan defense cooperation MoU signed at LAAD‑2025 in Rio de Janeiro, both nations have opened a channel to deepen technological and industrial collaboration, potentially extending across their naval nuclear ambitions. If both countries elect to extend their MoU into naval nuclear cooperation, they could share best practices on reactor safety, low-enriched uranium fuel cycles, and crew training methodologies. Brazil’s lab‑scale facilities and training modules—already designed for the Álvaro Alberto submarine—could complement Pakistan’s hands‑on experience with propulsion systems, accelerating Pakistan’s path toward its own nuclear‑powered submarine. Technical exchanges might cover reactor instrumentation, fuel pellet manufacturing, land‑based reactor testing, and even joint R&D. Operational collaboration of this kind could also enhance nonproliferation assurances: Brazil’s use of low‑enriched uranium (LEU) under IAEA safeguards and Pakistan’s adherence to peaceful propulsion goals would help ensure transparent development and bolster legitimacy in the naval nuclear domain.
Model of SSN Alvaro Alberto
https://x.com/PakDefTeam/status/1940818576270614789
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/28/india-pakistan-missile-race-heats-up-but-china-in-crosshairs-too
Before announcing the ARFC, Pakistan showcased the Fatah-4, a cruise missile with a 750km range and the capability to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.
India, meanwhile, is working on Agni-VI, which is expected to have a range exceeding 10,000km and carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), a capability already present in Agni-V.
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“With India working on different variants of Agni with multiple capabilities, this test was a technological demonstrator for India’s emerging submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) capability,” Ahmed said.
“Depending on the configuration of the warheads for India’s SLBMs, India will be able to deploy anywhere between 200-300 warheads on its SSBN force alone over the next decade,” he added. SSBNs (ship, submersible, ballistic, nuclear) are nuclear-powered submarines designed to carry SLBMs armed with nuclear warheads. India currently has two SSBNs in service, with two more under construction.
Pakistan, by contrast, does not possess long-range missiles or nuclear submarines. Its longest-range operational ballistic missile, the Shaheen-III, has a range of 2,750km.
“Pakistan also has South Asia’s first MIRV-enabled ballistic missile called Ababeel, which can strike up to 2,200km range, but it is the shortest-ranged MIRV-enabled system deployed by any nuclear-armed state,” Ahmed said.
Tughral Yamin, a former Pakistani army brigadier and nuclear policy scholar, said the countries’ missile ambitions reflect divergent priorities.
“Pakistan’s programme is entirely Indian-specific and defensive in nature, while India’s ambitions extend beyond the subcontinent. Its long-range systems are designed for global power projection, particularly vis-a-vis China, and to establish itself as a great power with credible deterrence against major states,” said Yamin, author of The Evolution of Nuclear Deterrence in South Asia.
But some experts say Pakistan’s missile development programme isn’t only about India.
Ashley J Tellis, the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), said that while “India wants to be able to range China and Pakistan,” Islamabad is building the capability to keep Israel – and even the US – in its range, in addition to India.
“The conventional missile force in both countries is designed to strike critical targets without putting manned strike aircraft at risk,” Tellis told Al Jazeera.
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Ahmed, the Canberra-based academic, said India’s long-range missile development is openly supported by Western powers as part of the US-led Asia Pacific strategy.
“The US and European powers have viewed and encouraged India to act as a net security provider. The India-US civil nuclear deal and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) waiver effectively gave India de facto nuclear weapons status without signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” he said.
The NPT is a Cold War-era treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and advancing the goal of nuclear disarmament. It formally recognises only the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain as nuclear weapons states.
But the 2008 waiver from the NSG – a club of 48 nations that sell nuclear material and technology – allowed India to engage in global nuclear trade despite not being an NPT signatory, a unique status that elevated its global standing.
Clary from the University of Albany, however, pointed out that unlike the Biden administration, the current Trump White House has not expressed any concerns about Pakistan’s missile programme – or about India’s Agni-V test.
The Pakistan Navy's current submarine fleet has a limited capacity to project power on the high seas due to operational constraints, but its ongoing acquisition of new, advanced submarines is specifically aimed at increasing this capability in the Indian Ocean region.
Current Capabilities and Limitations
Current Fleet: Pakistan's current fleet primarily consists of aging French-designed Agosta-70 and Agosta-90B diesel-electric submarines. While the three Agosta-90B submarines have been retrofitted with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems allowing for extended underwater operations (measured in days rather than hours), their overall endurance and operational reach are limited compared to true blue-water, nuclear-powered submarines.
Operational Focus: The current fleet is primarily optimized for a "sea-denial" strategy and coastal defense within the Arabian Sea, rather than sustained, long-range power projection deep into the high seas.
Logistical Dependence: The navy is heavily dependent on foreign suppliers for maintenance and upgrades, which can impact operational sustainability and wartime readiness.
Future Power Projection
Hangor-Class Acquisition: The Pakistan Navy is modernizing its submarine force with the acquisition of eight new Chinese-designed Hangor-class (Type 039A/041 Yuan-class) diesel-electric submarines.
Enhanced Endurance and Range: These new submarines are equipped with advanced AIP systems and are designed for open-ocean operations with an emphasis on range and endurance, significantly enhancing their ability to operate far beyond Pakistan's immediate littoral waters. They have a reported range of 6,500 nautical miles (around 12,000 km) and can stay submerged for weeks at a time, making them harder to detect and ideal for persistent patrols.
Strategic Deterrence: The Hangor-class submarines are being configured to carry nuclear-capable Babur-3 submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs) with a range of up to 450 km. This provides a credible second-strike capability and a robust strategic deterrent in the Indian Ocean region, a key element of power projection.
Vision 2030: The Pakistan Navy's "Vision 2030" aims to field an integrated submarine force capable of sustained operations in the northern Arabian Sea and beyond, indicating a clear intent to move from a purely littoral force to one with enhanced regional power projection capabilities.
In summary, while the Pakistan Navy's current ability to project power on the high seas is limited, the new Hangor-class submarines, once fully operational, will provide a substantial boost to its endurance, stealth, and strike capabilities, allowing for more effective and sustained power projection in the Indian Ocean region.
https://defensetalks.com/pakistan-navy-inducts-2400-td-hovercraft-into-marines-during-naval-chiefs-visit-to-creeks-area/
Pakistan’s Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, visited forward posts in the Creeks Area to review Pakistan Navy’s operational preparedness and combat readiness. During the visit, three 2400 TD Hovercraft were officially inducted into the Pakistan Marines, enhancing the service’s coastal and littoral response capability.
Multi-Terrain Capability of the 2400 TD Hovercraft
The 2400 TD Hovercraft can operate on diverse surfaces, including shallow waters, mudflats, dunes, and marshy zones. This versatility enables movement in areas inaccessible to traditional vessels, offering the Pakistan Navy improved mobility across complex coastal terrain.
Each craft is designed for rapid deployment and high maneuverability, suitable for surveillance, logistics, and rescue operations.
These hovercraft provide the ability to transition quickly between land and sea, a feature that is critical for security operations in the Creeks region, where geographic conditions demand flexible maritime platforms.
Enhanced Capability for Pakistan Marines
The Pakistan Marines, a specialized branch of the Navy, are tasked with securing the nation’s coastal belt and maritime installations.
The induction of the new hovercraft improves their operational reach and amphibious warfare readiness, allowing faster response to emerging security challenges.
This addition aligns with the Pakistan Navy’s broader modernization program focused on technology integration, coastal surveillance, and strategic mobility. The new assets are expected to strengthen coordination between maritime and land elements in littoral operations.
Admiral Ashraf on Modernization and Maritime Security
Addressing officers and personnel, Admiral Ashraf stated that the induction reflects Pakistan Navy’s commitment to modernization and maritime preparedness. He emphasized that Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) are vital not only for national defense but also for global trade and economic stability.
“Safeguarding our maritime domain remains an operational priority,” Admiral Ashraf said, reaffirming that the Navy stands ready to ensure the security of Pakistan’s maritime frontiers from Sir Creek to Jiwani. He added that the Pakistan Navy continues to act as a responsible contributor to peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region.
@Zohaib_Author
Pakistan’s recent fielding and flight trials of the P-282 / “SMASH” anti-ship ballistic missile (ship-launched test reported at ~350 km range in Nov 2024) mark a concrete, near-term ASBM capability tailored for A2/AD operations and littoral denial. Technically, Pakistan’s ASBM approach emphasizes platform diversity and distributive launch (ship-launched P-282/SMASH plus sub-launched Babur-III SLCM), relatively compact ranges matched to Arabian Sea engagement geometry, and integration with naval ISR (UAVs, coastal radars, and satcom) to enable over-the-horizon targeting and terminal guidance, design choices that favour tactical surprise, salvo saturation, and rapid dispersal.
https://x.com/Zohaib_Author/status/1985455738446365056
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Zohaib Ahmed 🇵🇰🇵🇸
@Zohaib_Author
The Zarb coastal battery’s core strength is its networked, mobile anti-ship strike package that pairs long-range cruise missiles with integrated maritime ISR and fire-control, enabling rapid, distributed salvoes from dispersed launchers rather than a single fixed battery.
Technically, it combines coastal AESA or shore radars, EO/IR cueing, secure datalinks to airborne and shipborne sensors, and missiles with INS/GNSS midcourse guidance plus a terminal seeker for sea-skimming approach and target discrimination.
That architecture gives you three decisive advantages: stand-off strike so your shooters stay outside hostile air-defence envelopes, salvo saturation that overwhelms layered interceptors, and shoot-and-scoot mobility that limits preemption.
https://x.com/Zohaib_Author/status/1985644915305693216
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Zohaib Ahmed 🇵🇰🇵🇸
@Zohaib_Author
Why Pakistan Isn’t Losing Sleep Over the BrahMos Missile?
Once hailed as a symbol of Indo-Russian engineering genius, the BrahMos was supposed to change South Asia’s strategic balance. But in the 2025 conflict, it barely scratched the surface, literally. Despite its Mach-3 speed, Pakistan’s defences absorbed the strike with minimal damage.
The data tells a blunt truth: speed without impact is just noise.
Pakistan’s integrated air defence systems, advanced electronic warfare, and hardened infrastructure have turned the BrahMos from a “game-changer” into a glorified firecracker.
Read how perception met performance, and lost.
https://zohaibauthor.com/2025/11/04/why-pakistan-is-least-worried-about-brahmos/
https://x.com/Zohaib_Author/status/1985636867363258411
Turkish Century
@TurkishCentury
🇵🇰🇹🇷 Pakistan's Navy has reportedly inked a contract with the #Karachi Shipyard to begin the construction of the advanced #Jinnah-class multirole frigate!
Based on the #ASFAT AS3400 platform with full ToT (Transfer of Technology), the Jinnah-class is the most recent outcome of the extensive Turkish-Pakistani cooperation in #shipbuilding and naval systems engineering that is rooted in the #Milgem-PN program that gave the world the formidable #Babur-class heavy corvettes.
Jinnah is a highly advanced 3300+ton frigate customized for the unique needs of brotherly Pakistan with the goal of complete domination of the seas, as well as the sky above and the depths below. Armed with #antiship, #antiaircraft, cruise missiles as well as heavy torpedoes, it fully covers all aspects of littoral & blue-water operations, anti-ship/air/submarine warfare, and power projection in the high seas.
First steel-cutting is expected within a few months with plans to build a total of six (6) frigates.
https://x.com/TurkishCentury/status/1985985856453120185
https://quwa.org/pakistan/pakistan-navy/aircraft/sea-sultan-long-range-maritime-patrol-aircraft-lrmpa/
The Pakistan Navy’s (PN) Sea Sultan Long-Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (LRMPA) represents a significant modernization effort to replace its aging fleet of P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. The PN currently has three Sea Sultan LRPMAs on order, but it intends to acquire 10 aircraft in total.
Overall, the Sea Sultan LRMPA is among several original PN programs, such as the forthcoming Jinnah-class frigate and 38.8 patrol boat. These projects signify the PN’s emerging approach of working with different overseas partners to co-design, co-develop, and co-produce solutions that closely deliver on the PN’s needs while working within Pakistan’s fiscal constraints.
Sea Sultan Program Background
The Sea Sultan program emerged from Pakistan’s need to replace its P-3C Orion fleet with a modern jet-powered platform. In 2018, the PN announced its interest in acquiring a new LRMPA, initially considering options from the United States.
In January 2020, the PN released a tender seeking one twin-engine jet-powered aircraft intended for use as a LRMPA. By October 2020, the PN announced that it acquired the aircraft, which was later revealed to be a second-hand Embraer Lineage 1000E. In September 2021, the PN officially launched the LRMPA program and designated the system as the “Sea Sultan”.
Program Development
Initially, Leonardo was selected as the prime contractor for the Sea Sultan program. Leonardo was tasked with designing, modifying, installing, and integrating the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and general maritime patrol package. Leonardo was likely chosen at the time for its past experience in supplying subsystems and torpedo-release hardware for the PN’s RAS-72 Sea Eagle MPA.
South Africa’s Paramount Group was contracted to manage the Lineage 1000E’s pre-conversion as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) work.
However, in 2021, it seemed that the PN adjusted the terms for each contractor, with Paramount Group becoming the lead contractor and Leonardo focusing specifically on supplying hardware.
In addition, the PN also contracted the South African company Aerosud. Aerosud is supplying two sets of specialized interiors for the Sea Sultan, including mission-specific components like galleys, observer tables, class dividers, and equipment stowages. The design work for these inputs lasted for 18 months and was completed in early 2024, with manufacturing starting in May 2024.
Sea Sultan LRMPA Specifications
Base Platform (Embraer Lineage 1000E)
Length: 36.24 m
Wingspan: 28.72 m
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 54,500 kg
Range: 8,500 km
Service Ceiling: 12,000 m
Cruise Speed: Mach 0.82
Expected Subsystems
Main Search Radar: TBC (likely Leonardo Seaspray 7300E AESA radar)
Electro-Optical/Infrared Turret: TBC
Electronic Support Measures (ESM): TBC (likely RIBAT)
Defensive Aids Measures: TBC (likely RWR, MAWS, and Chaff/Flares)
Communications: TBC (likely HF/VHF/UHF and SATCOM)
Operational Roles
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW)
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)
Search-and-Rescue (SAR)
https://quwa.org/pakistan/pakistan-navy/aircraft/sea-sultan-long-range-maritime-patrol-aircraft-lrmpa/
Key Capabilities of the Sea Sultan LRMPA
Multi-Mission Platform
The Sea Sultan LRMPA will be a fully capable ASuW, ASW, and ISR platform.
In terms of ASuW, a scaled mock up of the Sea Sultan suggests the aircraft could be armed with four anti-ship missiles (AShM). It is unclear if these AShM will be a cruising missile or air-launched ballistic missiles (ALBM). However, it is worth noting that Pakistan is developing its own series of compact, but long-range, air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM).
It is unclear how Paramount Group will configure the Sea Sultan’s ASW capabilities. For example, it may use external hardpoints (like the RAS-72) for lightweight torpedoes, or an internal bay that is attached to the fuselage. External hardpoints would mean creating trade-offs between the Sea Sultan’s ASuW and ASW payloads. It is not known what torpedoes the Sea Sultan will use, but as with AShM solutions, Pakistan is also developing its own lightweight torpedo (Eghraaq).
As part of its original tender for an aircraft platform, the PN specified that it will use the LRMPA for ‘airborne early warning’ (AEW). It appears that an AEW role would be integrated into the LRMPA via its standard sensor suite. So, one could see a scenario where the main search radar is used for providing other air and surface platforms with situational awareness.
In addition, the Sea Sultan will also be equipped with an ESM suite. One could reasonably expect the PN to configure the domestically built RIBAT ESM suite to the LRMPA. This would provide the aircraft with electronic intelligence (ELINT) capabilities, i.e., an array of passive sensors designed for monitoring airspace for all enemy radar and communications emissions. These ELINT systems will record the transmissions of those radar and communications signals for use in threat libraries for electronic countermeasures (ECM)-based jamming and spoofing systems.
Extended Range for Long-Endurance Missions
As the Sea Sultan is based on the Embraer Lineage 1000E, it will leverage that aircraft’s range and endurance benefits. For example, the Lineage 1000E provides a ferry range of over 4,000 nautical miles, a significant boost compared to the 2,500 nautical mile range of the airliners the Lineage 1000E is based on, the E190-E2 and E195-E2.
Indigenous Subsystems Integration
The PN already leverages an array of domestically built subsystems, most notably the RIBAT-line of ESM systems and the ‘Link Green’ tactical data-link (TDL) protocol. It is likely that the new Sea Sultan LRMPAs will use both of these subsystems.
It is unclear if the Sea Sultan will use domestically designed sensor systems, such as an EO/IR turret or main search radar. However, both types of sensors are currently under development in Pakistan, with multiple vendors (such as NRTC and NASTP) engaging in radar work.
Indigenous Weapons Compatibility
It seems that Pakistan is working towards configuring the Sea Sultan with homegrown weapon systems. For example, the Pakistani defence industry recently revealed the Rasoob 250 ALCM and Eghraaq lightweight torpedo (LWT).
In the context of the Sea Sultan, the Rasoob 250 would make for a plausible option as its design echoes some of the concepts found in other lightweight ALCMs, like the Joint Strike Missile (JSM). The Rasoob 250 weighs 285 kg and offers a maximum range of 350 km.
While its warhead is small compared to most other anti-ship missiles (at 75 kg), Pakistan could potentially develop a larger variant optimized for the Sea Sultan specifically (and, consequently, closer in dimensions and weight to the JSM).
The Eghraaq is classed as an “ultra-lightweight” torpedo similar in capabilities to the Leonardo MU90 or Saab Torped 47. If it materializes, the Eghraaq could be a likely choice for use from the Sea Sultan. An accompanying sonobuoy is also under development.
The delivery also suggests that Beijing has overcome a major technical hurdle in the vessels’ construction, observers say
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332051/pakistans-navy-set-have-chinese-subs-2026-what-does-it-mean-india
Confirmation from Pakistan’s top naval official that Chinese submarines will soon arrive in the South Asian country suggests India’s dominance of the Indian Ocean could be tested and that Beijing has overcome a major technical hurdle, according to analysts.
In an interview with Global Times, affiliated with People’s Daily, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, the Pakistani chief of naval staff, said the first batch of Hangor-class, conventionally powered attack submarines jointly built by China and Pakistan was expected to enter service in the South Asian country’s navy next year.
Ashraf said the submarine programme was “progressing smoothly” and notable for boosting Islamabad’s submarine force capabilities, contributing to “self-reliance through transfer of technology and skill development” and reflecting close Sino-Pakistani collaboration on naval equipment.
Chinese-origin platforms and equipment had been reliable, technologically advanced and well-suited to the Pakistan Navy’s operational requirements, Ashraf said, according to the Global Times article published on Sunday.
Emerging technologies such as uncrewed systems, artificial intelligence and advanced electronic warfare systems were becoming increasingly important, he said, adding that Pakistan’s navy was focusing on these areas and exploring collaboration with China.
Pakistan is the world’s largest importer of Chinese weapons, accounting for 63 per cent of Beijing’s total global arms exports between 2020 and 2024, according to a database compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The imports from China include naval systems. Islamabad has procured four Type 054 frigates – dubbed Tughril-class frigates in the Pakistan Navy – which have all entered into service since 2021.
Liselotte Odgaard of Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank, said New Delhi’s naval dominance in the Indian Ocean was being “challenged”, especially in the undersea domain.
Odgaard said the Hangor-class submarines would boost Pakistan’s anti-access and area-denial capabilities, particularly in the northern Arabian Sea, a vital route for energy and trade that connects to the Persian Gulf.
China’s strategic corridor via Pakistan’s port city of Gwadar and its growing presence across the Indian Ocean in Djibouti, Sri Lanka and Myanmar meant these submarines could support Beijing’s maritime routes to the Middle East, she added.
The Hangor-class submarines would also “significantly enhance Pakistan’s deterrence posture, complicating India’s maritime strategy and contributing to China’s broader Indo-Pacific ambitions”, she said.
Unlike its regional rival India, Pakistan’s navy lacks a nuclear-powered submarine, instead fielding five conventional attack submarines it imported from France.
In contrast, India has in recent years commissioned two indigenously developed nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – the INS Arihant and INS Arighaat – with another undergoing sea trials.
Nuclear-powered submarines are deemed superior to other submarines, as they can submerge without needing to refuel. This allows them to operate at higher speeds for longer periods than their non-nuclear counterparts, giving them greater range.
Jagannath Panda of the Institute for Security and Development Policy, a Stockholm-based think tank, said a completed Hangor-class submarine fleet would “thicken” Pakistan’s sea-denial posture in the northern Arabian Sea.
Panda said this would complicate Indian carrier and surface operations, imposing higher anti-submarine warfare costs on sea lines from the Strait of Hormuz to the western Indian coast.
He (Panda) added that while the development would not cause a “decisive tilt”, Pakistani submarines would bring a “meaningful, sustained increase” in Islamabad’s undersea leverage and China’s operational familiarity in the waters west of Malacca.
The programme “tightens China-Pakistan defence interdependence training”, giving Beijing a deeper, routine presence in the northern Indian Ocean region that “dovetails with China’s energy sea-route interests towards the Middle East”, Panda said.
The Type 039A submarines on which the Hangor-class is based can use air-independent propulsion that does not require atmospheric oxygen to generate power.
This eliminates the need for the submarines to snorkel over the surface every few days and allows them to submerge for up to three weeks and about 60 days of total mission time.
Odgaard called the inclusion of Hangor-class submarines in Pakistan’s navy a “significant” development for regional naval dynamics.
Under its deal signed in 2015, Pakistan was to procure eight Hangor-class, diesel-electric attack submarines from China based on the Type 039A submarine now in service with the Chinese navy.
The US$5 billion partnership between China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation and the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works was considered Beijing’s largest-ever arms export contract.
In 2016, the head of Pakistan’s submarine programme told the National Assembly, the country’s legislative body, that the first four submarines built by China would be delivered by 2023. Another four, built by Pakistan under a technology transfer agreement, were to be delivered by 2028.
However, Pakistan has yet to receive delivery of the first batch of submarines.
One reason for the delay could stem from China’s struggle to source the German-made MTU396 diesel engines, of which the Type 039A submarines require four.
In 2021, Germany refused to approve export licences for the engines for China, citing a European Union arms embargo imposed in 1989 following the Tiananmen Square crackdown as well as media reports that revealed dual use of the German engines in Chinese naval vessels.
The same issue was reportedly behind a delay in a deal with Thailand, which in 2017 approved a contract worth 13.5 billion baht (US$415 million) to buy a diesel-electric submarine based on the Type 039A submarine, scheduled for delivery in 2023.
Consequently, the submarine engines had to be replaced with Chinese-made CHD620 engines. In August, Bangkok signed a revised agreement with Beijing to resume the submarine procurement after the engine constraint halted construction in 2021.
Pakistan’s new submarines are expected to be propelled by the CHD620 as well.
Odgaard said the headway signalled that China had “largely resolved” the supply-chain constraint caused by Germany’s engine embargo.
“This is major progress for China’s naval export capabilities, allowing it to bypass Western technology dependencies,” she added.
But the Chinese variant of the engine has yet to prove its operational capabilities, particularly in noise vulnerabilities and integration into underwater systems. Concerns could flare over the engine’s application in Pakistani and Thai submarines.
Collin Koh of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore said the CHD620 engine had been reverse-engineered from the German MTU design.
To date, the Chinese navy has had no publicly known instances of encountering major operational issues, according to Koh.
“They could have also not just indigenised but enhanced these associated technologies,” he added.
“In other words, even if Chinese submarine propulsion might not be on par with Western state-of-the-art models, they could at least offer reasonable performance with the given price tag.”
Tactical Tipu
@Tactical_Tipu
Admiral Arun is very much right that India's Naval ASW backed by P-8 Poseidon will be a major player.
But fortunately enough for Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force enjoys complete air superiority and these ASW platforms could not be protected by any fighter of the Indian Air Force.
https://x.com/Tactical_Tipu/status/1987796790339653902?s=20
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Adm. Arun Prakash
@arunp2810
PN pursuit of Sea Denial strategy via acquisition of 8xYuan/Hangor class diesel subs will be countered by IN’s advanced ship/air ASW force. Of concern is this: by 2028 PN will field 11 subs equipped with air independent propulsion while we will have none! A 2022 backgrounder
https://x.com/arunp2810/status/1987470351329346043?s=20
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Sushant Singh
@SushantSin
Confirmation from Pakistan’s top naval official that Chinese submarines will soon arrive in the South Asian country suggests India’s dominance of the Indian Ocean could be tested and that Beijing has overcome a major technical hurdle
https://x.com/SushantSin/status/1987366830508319002?s=20
Pakistan is developing indigenous Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), such as the recently unveiled Israr UUV by Beyond Koncept, for missions like reconnaissance, surveillance, and mine countermeasures. These UUVs are part of a broader effort to enhance the Pakistan Navy's maritime capabilities and strategic self-sufficiency. The country has also made significant advancements in other unmanned systems, particularly its Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) and other aerial drones.
Key developments in UUVs
Israr UUV: Unveiled in November 2025 by the Pakistani company Beyond Koncept at PIMEC 2025 and X.
Modular design: The Israr UUV is designed to be modular, allowing for the integration of different payloads and sensors for various missions.
Mission roles: It is intended for a range of naval operations, including intelligence
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Pakistan Revealed New Naval Drones. Does it Signal a New Shift?
https://quwa.org/pakistan-navy-news/pakistani-companies-drive-naval-drone-development-11-13-2025/
At the 2025 Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC 2025), Pakistani defence industry firms showcased the unmanned aerial system (UAS), unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) designs they are currently developing.
These included the Stingray Technologies USV, as well as the Beyond Koncept “Muhassir” USV and “Israr” AUV. While marketed by seemingly private companies, each of these platforms appears to be in development at one of the National Engineering and Scientific Commission’s (NESCOM) entities.
NESCOM is the leading state-owned defence research, development, and production entity, with an ecosystem of subsidiaries specializing in different domains. One can see many NESCOM solutions in the product catalogues of Stingray Technologies and Beyond Koncept, thus revealing their actual nature as commercial arms of their respective NESCOM bureaus.
Global Industrial and Defence Solutions (GIDS), which generally works as the sales and marketing hub of NESCOM, also revealed a maritime variant of its forthcoming Shahpar III UAS. Interestingly, the concept videos of the maritime variant showcase a redesigned front fuselage alongside a series of specialized equipment, including sonobuoys, Eghraaq lightweight torpedoes, a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and electronic and communications intelligence (ELINT/COMINT) suites.
Overall, the fact that no less than four different unmanned platforms are in development specifically for maritime purposes – i.e., three combat-capable USVs, at least one unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV)/AUV, and medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAS – highlights how much more emphasis the Pakistan Navy (PN) is placing on uncrewed systems for its long-term procurement roadmap.
In July, the PN leadership stated that it will pursue uncrewed systems for its surface, sub-surface, and airborne requirements – each of these concepts serves as proof of Naval Headquarters’ (NHQ) seriousness in the matter.