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.