Pakistan Navy Inducts F-22P Zulfiquar Class Guided Missile Frigate, PNS Aslat

Pakistan Navy has inducted first Pakistani made F-22P Zulfiquar Class frigate, PNS Aslat into its fleet in an impressive ceremony attended by the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Karachi.  The F-22P PNS Aslat will  enhance the war fighting capabilities of the Pakistan Navy

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called the the completion of the PNS Aslat Guided Missile Frigate on time  as a milestone for Pakistan. PNS Aslat guided missile frigate is the fourth warship of the F-22P Zulfiqar class frigate which was  manufactured by the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) with transfer of technology from China State Shipbuilding Company (CSSC), China Shipbuilding and Trading Company (CSTC).

PNS Aslat guided missile frigate is armed with 8x C-802A long range surface-to-surface Anti-Ship missiles to battle against enemy ships, 8x  ready to fire FM-90 surface-to-air missiles to counter air threats along with reloads and two triple torpedo tubes. PNS Aslat guided missile frigate is using the Chinese version of the Russian AK-176M 76.2 mm as its main gun. Two 30 mm seven barrel gattling guns also called 730B Close -in-Weapon System (CIWS) are used to act as last defense of the ship against air and surface threats.

Pakistan Navy’s F-22P Zulfiquar Class Guided Missile Frigate

Displacement: 3,144 tonnes

Length: 123.2 meter

Breadth: 13.8 meter

Draft: 3.76 meter

Max Speed: 29 knots

Cruising Speed: 16 knots

Range: 6,000 nautical miles range

Weapons:

Surface to Surface Missiles: 2x Quadruple C-802A  Anti-Ship missile launchers

Main Gun: 76mm gun based on the Russian AK-176M weapon

ASW: Two triple ET-52C 324mm torpedo tubes and two sextuple RDC-32 rocket launchers

Sword class also carries Echo Type 5 hull-mounted active search and track sonar

Surface to Air Missiles: 8x FM-90N Surface to Air Missiles

Short Range Air Defense: Two Type 730 30mm seven-barrel guns

Helicopter: Sword class carries a Z-9EC helicopter. Z-9EC helicopter will provide PN with capability of over-the-horizon targeting for the long range C-802 missiles in addition to its anti-submarine capability.

Crew: Ship’s core crew is 188, but has a capacity to carry 212 for long period and 250 for short periods.