PNS Zulfiquar (F251)

PNS Zulfiquar (FFG-251) is the lead ship of the F-22P Zulfiquar-class guided missile frigates since 2009.[5] She was designed and constructed by Chinese firm, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai, for the Pakistan Navy. The vessel's design is primarily influenced from the Type 053H3 frigate.[6]

For other ships with the same name, see PNS Zulfiqar.
PNS Zulfiquar (FFG-251), a F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigate anchored in the Port Klang in Malaysia in 2009.
History
Pakistan
Name: PNS Zulfiquar
Namesake: Zulfiqar (lit. Sword)
Builder: Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard Co. in China
Laid down: 12 October 2006
Launched: 7 April 2008 [1]
Acquired: 30 July 2009
Commissioned: 19 September 2009[2]
In service: 2009–present
Homeport: Karachi Naval Base
Status: In active service
General characteristics
Class and type: F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigate
Displacement:
  • 2,500 tonnes (standard)[3]
  • 3,144 tonnes (full load)[4]
Length: 123.2 m (404 ft 2 in)
Beam: 13.8 m (45 ft 3 in)
Draught: 3.76 m (12 ft 4 in)
Propulsion:
  • CODAD (Combined Diesel and Diesel)
  • 2 × Tognum MTU 12V 1163 TB 83 at 10.5 MW
  • 2 × MTU cruise diesels at 6.6 MW
Speed: 29 kn (54 km/h) maximum
Range: 4,000 nmi (7,400 km)
Complement: 215, 15 officers and 200 enlists.
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 × Harbin Z-9EC ASW helicopter
Aviation facilities: Flight deck and enclosed hangar

Design and construction

After the bilateral contract was signed between Pakistan and China on 4 April 2006,:391[7] she was designed and constructed by the Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding Co. in China and her steel cutting was held on 10 October 2006 in Shanghai.[8]

She was officially laid down on 24 July 2007 and was launched on 7 April 2008 to complete several sea trials in China.[8] She is the lead ship of her class and was acquired by the Pakistan Navy on 30 July 2009.[1] On 12 September 2009, she arrived and reported to her base, Naval Base Karachi and commissioned in the Navy.[9][10]

The induction ceremony was held on 19 September 2009 with former Chairman joint chiefs Geneneral Tariq Majid visiting the ship and presented her with military colors.[2] The warship was later visited by General Ashfaq Pervez, the army chief and Admiral Noman Bashir who went to visit senior American officer, possibly Adm. Mike Mullen, abroad on the American aircraft carrier.[11]

Deployments and war service
Main articles: War in Afghanistan (2001–present), War in North-West Pakistan, Piracy off the coast of Somalia, and War on Terror

Following her commissioning, Zulfiquar has been deployed to witnessed actions in the War on Terror in Afghanistan and the piracy off the coast of Somalia, when she was deployed to lead military operation to provide rescue and sealift of the personnel of MV Suez in 2011.[12]

On 6 September 2014, a serious incident took place involving Zulfiquar when al-Qaeda's Indian subcontinent branch attempted to take control of the vessel after penetrating the Naval Base Karachi. The Navy Special Service Group's Navy SEAL Teams and 1st Marines responded by engaging the attackers and succeeded in capturing four assailants alive who were locked away in the ship's compartment.[13] The motive appeared that the attackers, still with active duty with the Navy who had been led by a sub-lieutenant, wanted to engage the U.S. Navy's fleet in Indian Ocean with its cruise and anti-ship missile system targeting the U.S. Navy.[14]

The Navy SEAL Teams took the team of ten militants including killing four navy officers who were engaging in taking over the vessel.[15] Initial reports indicated that the four officers who were involved but who did not participate in the attack were later apprehended by the Naval Police in Karachi.[16]

On 13 September 2014, the Navy confirmed to detaining 17 naval personnel including three key naval officers who were trying to defect to Afghanistan through Mastung in Balochistan in Pakistan.[13] The Navy JAG Corps reportedly announced the verdict on 25 March 2016 with five naval officers and apprehended naval personnel awarded death penalty for their involvement.[17] The details of the incident were not available immediately.[13][11]

See also
  • Pakistan Navy in War in Afghanistan

References
  1. Wendell Minnick (2008-04-10). "Pakistan Gets New Chinese Frigate". DefenseNews. Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
  2. Archive, AAJ News (20 September 2009). "PNS Zulfiquar inducted in Pakistan Navy Fleet". Aaj News. Naval Base Karachi: Aaj News. Aaj News. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  3. F 2 2 P Frigate Archived 2009-06-02 at the Wayback Machine
  4. http://www.navy.lk | Commanding Officer of Pakistan Navy Ship 'Zulfiquar' calls on Commander of the Navy Archived 2011-11-03 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "PNS Zulfiquar (251) Guided-Missile Frigate Warship - Pakistan". www.militaryfactory.com. militaryfactory. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  6. "Sword / F-22P Class Frigates, Pakistan". Naval Technology. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  7. Fagoyinbo, Joseph Babatunde (2013). "§Pakistan Navy PN". The Armed Forces: Instrument of Peace, Strength, Development and Prosperity (google books). UK: AuthorHouse. p. 475. ISBN 9781477226476. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  8. Agencies, NNI (12 May 2017). "Pakistan naval ship PNS Zulfiquar to reach Singapore tomorrow". The Nation. Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan: The Nation. The Nation. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  9. "Pakistan gets Chinese F-22P frigates". Rediff. Rediff. Rediff. 12 September 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  10. Reporter, Our Staff (13 September 2009). "F-22P frigate boost for Pak Navy". The Nation. The Nation. The Nation. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  11. Joscelyn, Thomas (29 September 2014). "Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent claims attacks on Pakistani ships were more audacious than reported | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. longwarjournal. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  12. "MV Suez sinks: All crew members board PNS Zulfiqar". The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  13. Zaman, Fahim; Ali, Naziha Syed (13 September 2014). "Dockyard attackers planned to hijack Navy frigate". DAWN.COM. Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan: Dawn Newspaper. Dawn Newspaper. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  14. Sherazi, Zahir Shah; Shah, S. Ali (11 September 2014). "Navy officials arrested in connection with dockyard attack". DAWN.COM. Dawn Newspaper. Dawn Newspaper. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  15. "New al Qaeda wing in South Asia claims major attack". Reuters. 17 Sep 2014.
  16. "Al Qaeda Militants Tried to Seize Pakistan Navy Frigate". Wall Street Journal. 16 Sep 2014.
  17. AFP, News Desk (25 May 2016). "PNS Zulfiqar attack: Five navy officers get death penalty". The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
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