Pakistan Navy signed an arms deal with Turkish Firm, “ASFAT“, for the procurement and joint manufacturing of Milgem-Class corvettes in 2018. According to that agreement, the first two vessels will be manufactured in Turkey while the remaining two will be at Karachi Shipyard, Pakistan. In this way, this deal involves complete ToT (Transfer of Technology).
The term “Milgem” stands for “Milli Gemi” in Turkish, meaning “National Ship.” The Milgem Corvette PN project represents the strong cooperation and partnership between Turkey and Pakistan in the field of defense technology.
Armament Package of Milgem-Class Corvettes
These ships will be armed with state-of-the-art weapons systems and sensors. These ships will be equipped with 2 triple cells for surface-to-surface missiles. According to sources, Pakistan Navy is looking to equip these ships with homemade Harbah Anti-ship missiles.
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For Air Defense, these ships will be armed with CAMM-ER (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile – Extensive Range) which has a range of 50 to 70 against a wide range of aerial threats such as aircraft, UAVs, and Missiles. For point air defense, Milgem-class boats will be armed with a Turkish Aselsan-built Gökdeniz close-in weapon system.
Furthermore, the Milgem Corvette PN incorporates indigenous technologies and systems developed by Pakistan’s defense industry, showcasing the country’s growing self-reliance and technological prowess.
Presently, Pakistan Navy is undergoing a swift process of modernization. Under that modernization project, Pakistan Navy is inducting state-of-the-art frigates, corvettes, submarines, maritime aircraft, and helicopters.
Milgem-class corvettes will be powered by LM2500 engine, manufactured by American company GM Marine. Milgem class corvette will be equipped with a YAKAMOS hull mounted Sonar System. This System is used for the detection and tracking of underwater threats such as submarines and torpedoes. This system is produced by a Turkish firm “Meteksan”.
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For point air defense, Milgem-class boats will be armed with a Turkish Aselsan-built Gökdeniz close-in weapon system.
Main specifications: Pakistan’s Milgem-class Corvettes:
- Displacement: 2,926 tonnes
- Length: 108.2 m
- Beam: 14.8 m
- Draft: 4.05 m
- Propulsion: CODAG
- Max speed: 31 knots
- Range: 3500 nautical miles
- Endurance: 15 days at sea
Sensors & Radars
Systems:
- G-MSYS (GENESIS MİLGEM Savaş Yönetim Sistemi) Combat Management System
- Thales SMART-S Mk.2 search radar
- STING EO Mk.2 fire control radar
- Yakamos sonar
Communications:
- SATCOM,
- GPS,
- ECDIS/WECDIS,
- Link 11/16
Navigation:
- Aselsan ARES-2N ESM System
- Laser rage-finder systems
- ASW jammers
Umair Aslam is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Defense Insight. He has worked as a defense journalist reporting on military modernization programs, defense industry, arms procurement, and emerging technologies.
