Pakistan Navy Plans Modernization, Indigenization

[Riaz Haq]

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. 

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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[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan and Türkiye Sign Agreements on EW and Other Projects - Quwa

https://quwa.org/pakistan-defence-industry/pakistan-and-turkiye-sig...

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.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan, Türkiye to boost R&D collaboration | Daily Sabah


https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/pakistan-turkiye-to-boo...

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.

[Riaz Haq]

From competing to beating US in numbers and tonnage, here’s how China built its shipping empire

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...

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-s...

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.”

[Riaz Haq]

India (8.3%) is the second largest importer of arms over the last 5 years (2019-2024). Ukraine (8.8%) is first. Pakistan (4.6%) 4th, according to SIPRI.

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-bigge...

https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/top-10-listing/top-10-la...

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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-supp...

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.

[Riaz Haq]

Chinese builder launches Pakistan Navy's second Hangor-class submarine

https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/naval/naval-submersibles/chi...

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.

[Riaz Haq]

This warship shows why the U.S. Navy is falling behind China.

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-...

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.