China to deliver four F-22P frigates to Pakistan by 2013

Islamabad, May 29: Pakistan's chief of naval staff Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir today said that China will begin supplying F-22P frigates to the navy from 2008.

Mr Tahir, who returned to the capital after an official visit to China, said in a statement that the first out of the four frigates is scheduled to be delivered to Pakistan in 2008 followed by the remaining three by 2013.

The fourth frigate will be built by Pakistani experts for which China will transfer technology.

Pakistan and China had last year signed a contract to jointly construct state-of-the-art F-22P frigates for Pakistan navy during Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's first visit to the country.

''Transfer of technology is the key element of the contract,'' Mr Tahir said and added that transfer of technology would also give a boost to the local expertise.

He said the keel for construction of the first frigate would be laid at Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in China.

He added that modalities of its design and configuration are at the final stages.

The frigates will be equipped with helicopters specially designed for anti-submarine warfare, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles along with numerous associated defence systems.

As the cooperation grew, China helped Pakistan develop its defence infrastructure and extended generous financial support and expertise to build huge defence complexes including tank manufacturing factory as well as military aircraft rebuilding and overhauling complex near Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the navy also plans to induct two P-3C Orion aircraft out of the eight, to be delivered by the US by the end of this year as part of a 1.2 billion dollar arms deal and third Agosta 90B submarine soon.

Pakistan had signed an agreement for purchase of three Agosta from France in 1996. Two submarines have already been commissioned in the navy while the third one is presently being constructed in Karachi for which DCN, the manufacturer company has transferred necessary technology to Pakistan.

UNI