The MİLGEM class corvette PNS BABUR built for Pakistan at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command under the prime contractorship of ASFAT was put into service with a ceremony. At the same ceremony, the offshore support ship PNS Hunain built by DAMEN Romania also joined the fleet.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who attended the ceremony held at the Karachi Naval Shipyard, said that they needed a strong naval force to counter the unstable geo-strategic environment in the Indian Ocean and the growing traditional and non-traditional challenges.
The Commander of the Pakistani Naval Forces, Vice Admiral Naveed Ashraf, described the inclusion of the two new ships in the Pakistani Naval Fleet as “an important milestone in the capacity building of the Pakistani Naval Fleet.” Vice Admiral Ashraf also thanked the stakeholders in the projects, especially ASFAT and the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command, for their strong cooperation.
