BEIJING, Apr 3 (APP):The keel-laying ceremony for the second Type 054A/P missile frigate, destined for the Pakistani Navy, was held at the Hudong–Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, China.
The officials from the Pakistan Navy and the Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding
Group attended the ceremony, China Military Online reported.
The Type 054A multi-purpose guided-missile frigate is the backbone type
of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, with 30 vessels in
commission.
Pakistan signed the first contract of two Type 054A/P frigates, an export
version of the Type 054A, in 2017 and purchased two more ships in June
2018. The steel cutting ceremony for the final two ships took place in last
November. All four frigates will be manufactured in China and delivered
to the Pakistan Navy in 2021.
A senior official of Pakistan Navy who attended the keel-laying ceremony
said that despite the challenges, posed by COVID-19, the expertise of
Hudong–Zhonghua Shipyard and Chinese contractors ensured the timely
completion of this important milestone programme.
The Pakistan Navy said that the 054A/P frigates are equipped with a
modern surface, underwater and anti-aircraft weapons and sensors.
Once built, these warships will become the most technologically advanced platforms of the Pakistani Navy, which will enhance its combat capability to meet future challenges and maintain peace, stability, and balance of power in the Indian Ocean.