Pakistan set to commission first indigenously built submarine

[ullu]

:smokingc:

Third is being built right now in karachi shipyards. Good work is being done!!!

Pakistan's navy is set to commission its first "indigenously built" Agosta 90B submarine on Friday, officials said.

The submarine is the second of three Agosta 90B models commissioned from France. Eleven French engineers helping Pakistan to build the submarine in southern port city Karachi were killed by a suicide bomber outside their hotel in May 1998.

The first Agosta 90B under the contract was built in France with Pakistani technicians given on-the-job training.

"This submarine would be commissioned on Friday and handed over to our navy fleet to be able to take part in any operational commitment along with other units of the fleet," navy spokesman Commodore Shahid Nadil told AFP.

"The commissioning of this submarine symbolises a quantum leap towards national policy of self-reliance in meeting the operational requirements of Pakistan Navy."

The submarine is the second in the series of "Khalid Class" submarines named after the first Agosta 90B and commissioned into the Pakistan Navy in September 1999.

Construction of the second submarine started in 1998 at the navy's dockyard in Karachi as part of the contract with French firm DCN International.

"Successful completion of a technically extremely complex platform is a major milestone in achieving the maximum self-reliance by our navy in meeting its operational requirements," Nadil said.

The design of Agosta 90B submarine is similar to the proven Agosta, built by France in the 1970s. The new Agostas have been fitted with state-of-the-art command and control systems.

They are capable of launching anti-ship missiles and a range of torpedoes and can dive deeper than 300 meters.

The Agosta 90B is designed to operate as an anti-submarine, anti-surface, intelligence gathering and sea patrol vessel.

"The three Agosta submarines could have all been built in France, but one of the main objectives of the contract was to acquire indigenous submarine construction capability," Nadil said.

AFP

:!: Edited, I found the link.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_492636,00050002.htm

Oqaab :!:

 

[Oqaab]

"indigenously built"

The submarine isnt indigenously built. The only difference between French agosta90B and Pakistani agosta will be of Air Independent Propulsion system.

 

[Red aRRow]

The first Agosta 90B of the PN, PNS Khalid, was completely built in France. This one, PNS Saad, was assembled in Pakistan. The Hull sections and some other important parts were made in France and then brought to Karachi shipyard where the rest were constructed and then everything was assembled together.
The third submarine will be completely built and assembled in Pakistan.

ullu please post the link with the news next time. thanks.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Musharraf inducts Agosta submarine, remembers slain French technicians

President Pervez Musharraf inducted Pakistan's first locally-built Agosta 90B submarine into its navy Friday, paying tribute to the 11 French technicians killed in a terror attack while they were helping to build it.

The submarine, named Saard, is the second Agosta 90B built for Pakistan by French firm DCN International. The French firm is also instructing Pakistani engineers in submarine construction techniques.

Musharraf hailed its induction as "a step towards self-reliance in marine defence".

The first Agosta 90B was built for Pakistan in France and inducted in 1999. Construction of the second Agosta 90B started in this southern port city Karachi in 1998 with the help of French naval technicians.

"It has given a considerable boost to our defence capability and Pakistan has now joined an elite group of countries which can construct submarines," Musharraf said at the induction ceremony.

"It has completed the cycle of self-reliance in all the three forces: air force, navy and army."

Around 1,000 people including top navy, army and air force officers, foreign diplomats and senior provincial officials attended the ceremony at the Pakistan Navy dockyards in the Arabian Sea port.

Eleven of the French technicians were killed in May 2002 when an Islamic militant suicide bomber blew up their bus outside their hotel as they waited to be driven to the navy dockyards to work on the submarine.

"I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of those technicians who lost their lives in a gruesome attack in May 2002," Musharraf said.

Three Pakistani bystanders were also killed.

The Agosta 90B is designed to attack other submarines and surface targets and is also used for intelligence-gathering and patrols.

It is fitted with state-of-the-art command and control systems, can dive below 300 meters, and is capable of launching anti-ship missiles and torpedoes.

AFP

 

[umair]

The MESP AIP has not yet been fitted in any of our present 90bs.The first two will get it in their first refits(probably a year or so later) while the four subs to be built in Pakistan will be fited with the AIP from the outset.
P.s the contract was for six subs that's why I said "four to be built".It's up to the govt to decide wether to export any of them or to induct them in the navy.

 

[Oqaab]

The MESP AIP has not yet been fitted in any of our present 90bs.The first two will get it in their first refits(probably a year or so later) while the four subs to be built in Pakistan will be fited with the AIP from the outset.
P.s the contract was for six subs that's why I said "four to be built".It's up to the govt to decide wether to export any of them or to induct them in the navy.

4 Agosta subs ??? I think there were 3 ordered by PN in 1994.

 

[corsair7772]

wat was the name of the sub we lost in 71 agn?

 

[umair]

The MESP AIP has not yet been fitted in any of our present 90bs.The first two will get it in their first refits(probably a year or so later) while the four subs to be built in Pakistan will be fited with the AIP from the outset.
P.s the contract was for six subs that's why I said "four to be built".It's up to the govt to decide wether to export any of them or to induct them in the navy.

4 Agosta subs ??? I think there were 3 ordered by PN in 1994.

No the contract was for purchase of six 90bs of which one was to be purchased directly from DCN, one was to be partialy built in Pakistan under French supervision while the remainder were to be built completely in Pakistan and we obtained the rights to export any of the locally manufactured subs after our requirement had been met.

 

[Awang se]

Base on what i heard so far, the Indian Scorpene will be much more advance then the Agosta.

 

[corsair7772]

It is but does any1 have the statistics?

 

[corsair7772]

I read some stats and it says that both subs r adaptable 2 the MESMA air watever system. Also both subs can carry a huge variety of weapons. Pakistan can adapt 2 chinese and India 2 russian, but theyll end up using the same eq then so pak will probably equip its subs with Exocets and India with russian missiles. But both subs r highly similar which raises the question y india wants this sub in particular.

Any1 who wants the statistics can go 2 www.naval-technology.com

 

[shamsi]

Sub lost in 71 was then PNS Ghazi.

The second sub was only assembled in Pakistan.

Scorpene has a shorter ranger. AIP is for Hamza.

 

[Oqaab]

Sub lost in 71 was then PNS Ghazi.

The second sub was only assembled in Pakistan.

Scorpene has a shorter ranger. AIP is for Hamza.

But the AIP will probable be installed in the other two as an upgrade.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Taking a purely analytical approach here.

Pakistan should try an upgrade existings with AIP. Nukes don't like being tagged by conventionals, and AIP will provide an edge.

Personally I think that the emphasis should be on subs as you have a restricted coastline, hence a "juicy" identifiable target.

I would hazard a guess that surface combattants would not last terribly long in a shooting war.

OTH India has recognised this and is moving away from Russian ASW solutions. They are moving towards buying ex-op P3 Orions as they are probably the most capable ASW airborne platforms in the world until the Nimrod MR4's come online.

India is also focussing on SSK's SSKN's to complement its "cruise boomers"

 

[shamsi]

AIP will not be installed in the other two till a major refit, which is years away. Till they have operational edge over a prototype system, only then they might slide in the modular plus, which is not as simple in the first place, as Submarine construction has come to know.

AIP sounds great on paper, but we are yet to see its working nature in Hamza. Till then, it's diesel electric for Khalid and Saad. Remember that if a Nuke is carried in a Modified Harpoon or Chinese copies TLAM Tomahawk, a diesel electric drive is not a problem if the sub remains in International waters and snorkles when it needs to re-charge.

 

[gf0012-aust]

AIP will not be installed in the other two till a major refit, which is years away. Till they have operational edge over a prototype system, only then they might slide in the modular plus, which is not as simple in the first place, as Submarine construction has come to know.

AIP sounds great on paper, but we are yet to see its working nature in Hamza. Till then, it's diesel electric for Khalid and Saad. Remember that if a Nuke is carried in a Modified Harpoon or Chinese copies TLAM Tomahawk, a diesel electric drive is not a problem if the sub remains in International waters and snorkles when it needs to re-charge.

Aust and the UK have shown the USN a few times how diesels can compromise the fleet. The USN is now redefining ASW doctrine as a legacy of the threat that diesels provide.

Is pakistans navy still headed bu an ex French admiral in part of the uniform "executive"?

 

[shamsi]

Are you refering to the Australian Collins class? To my info, they have issues of their own.

Yes, I agree. Diesel electric is a formidable threat in the Litorral and shallow water warfare.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Are you refering to the Australian Collins class? To my info, they have issues of their own.

Yes, I agree. Diesel electric is a formidable threat in the Litorral and shallow water warfare.

Yes, I am referring to the Collins. The early build problems are legendary. THose have been dealt with finally by the current government. A significant number of the design issues were a legacy of infighting between the govt and the contractor.

However, these units are now almost at a full warfighting capability. They have recorded a number of successful kills against US Carrier battle groups (persicope confirmed kills) and have really woken up some of the decision makers in the USN.

I feel sorry for the sailors, as they are unable to comment on some of the alleged problems due to secrecy provisions. But suffice to say that in the list of people i'd like to shoot, journalists are right up the top with lawyers.

 

[shamsi]

I personally think Collins class is a great design. Plus, the waters in Indian ocean "work" differently than the other oceans USN, FN, or RN are used to.

Any platform is only effective to the level of the effectiveness and traning of it's crew, with some exceptions.

 

[Faisal_Masud]

I cannot understand why all people think that every good thing in Pakistan is imported from other countries.