Naval News 2005 : Mar - Apr

[Shoaib]

The old therad is located here:

http://www.pakdef.info/forum/showthread.php?t=6383

w'salam

[pshamim]

Pakistan to get U.S. planes this year
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big News Network.com Thursday 3rd March, 2005 (UPI)

The United States will supply two P-3 Orion surveillance planes to Pakistan this year, Pakistani news media reported Wednesday.

The report, published in several Pakistani newspapers, said Washington will send six more such planes to Pakistan next year.

The eight P-3 Orion planes are part of a $1.2 billion arms package the United States offered to Pakistan late last year in return for its support to the U.S.-led war against terror.

P-3 Orion are naval surveillance planes and the Pentagon says Pakistan will use the planes to enhance its capability to monitor terrorists trying to enter the country.

Each plane costs $970 million.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=a2614e4d5cb20672

[Aziz]

Pakistan to get U.S. planes this year
--Each plane costs $970 million.
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=a2614e4d5cb20672

They might be big, but it doesn't mean they're accurate.

Aziz

[pshamim]

Aziz Sahib,
This old man was unable to understand what you mean.
Regards.

[Shoaib]

pshamim sahib,

$ 970 million is the price of 8 planes, not 1 as reported in the article ... kind of hard to get 8 planes at $970 million a piece in a $ 1.2 billion deal not to mention a bit too costly!

(http://home.wxs.nl/~p3orion/news.html)

[pshamim]

Thanks Shoaib for clarification.
I never believed the numbers were correct to start with but did'nt understand Aziz Sahibs Message.

[Usman S.]

Old news from August 2004 issue of Hilal magazine regarding the PN Atlantic overhaul.

The first PN Atlantic aircraft was completely overhauled at PNS Mehran. The aircraft was grounded for overhauling on 6 March 2003 and the work was completed in 15 months. The aircraft was given to 29 Squadron.

Attached Picture: Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral M Haroon together with the officers and sailors bringing the Atlantic to the runway after the ceremony.

[H Khan]

In late 2003, when I visited PNS Mehran I saw this Atlantic in the hanger. It was completely striped. Looked more like the two which were cannibalized for spares out in the back.

[Behjat]

In late 2003, when I visited PNS Mehran I saw this Atlantic in the hanger. It was completely striped. Looked more like the two which were cannibalized for spares out in the back.

Salaam,

HKhan, did you see the Atlantique wreckage (that India shot down) ?

[H Khan]

By ZARAR KHAN
.c The Associated Press

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - A fire broke out on a tanker belonging to the Pakistan navy at a dock in this southern port city on Thursday, and relief officials said at least 60 people - most of them sailors - were injured in the blaze.

A naval doctor said he feared many others are trapped on the ship, and that hospital officials had been put on emergency call to deal with the situation.

Witnesses saw at least a half dozen of the injured being rushed to the PNS Shifa Naval Hospital, some covered in red blankets, their faces burned from the fire.

``We have pulled out 60 to 70 injured people,'' rescue official Rizwan Edhi told The Associated Press. Hospital officials said 48 injured had been brought in so far and more were on the way.

The Pakistan Navy confirmed the fire, which is said broke out during routine exercises on the boat, but had no comment on the number of injuries.

It said the cause of the fire was not known.

``We are handling an emergency. We don't have details about what caused the fire or how many people were injured,'' said Capt. Amir Naeem Beg, a spokesman for the Navy at its headquarters in Islamabad.

Helicopters swarmed in the air over the enormous tanker, which was sitting on a dock in the Arabian Sea.

The fire broke out about a week after Pakistan and neighboring Iran held joint naval exercises in the Arabian sea.



03/10/05 07:26 EST

[Usman S.]

Over 100 hurt in Pak Navy ship blaze

(Updated at 1740 PST) By Afzal Nadeem
KARACHI: Over 100 people have received burn injuries as fire broke out in a Pakistan Navy ship anchored near Karachi port adjacent to the PNS Dockyard.

According to sources several injured were in a critical condition. One of the injured Lieutenant Khalid was brought in a serious condition to the civil hospital where after medical aid at the Burns Centre he was shifted to PNS Shifa.

No one was being allowed to enter the PNS Dockyard, even for more then two dozen ambulances, the rangers and police officials were also denied entry in the area. They have been stopped outside the gate while the ambulances of the Pakistan navy, volunteers, and cars were entering the area.

More then half half dozen helicopters were also engaged in the emergency relief operations.

According to reports the fire was doused however the emergency operations were continued. The helicopters were vacating the injured to PNS Shifa where according to sources the number of the wounded was over 100.
www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

[Usman S.]

I wonder if it is PNS Nasr or PNS Moawin?

[MohammedA]

BBC reporting two ships on fire.

[zeeshan]

Assalam oalaukum,

its PNS Muawan. Apparently a gas leak was being fixed when repair crew accidently triggered fire.
more details at urdu Jang.

[Awaisi]

Assalam oalaukum,

its PNS Muawan. Apparently a gas leak was being fixed when repair crew accidently triggered fire.
more details at urdu Jang.

PNS Muawen is a supply ship and has tons of liquid gas, petrol and diesel. Luckily, the damage has been contained. May Allah bless the departed souls and give recovery to those who are injured. Aameen

[MohammedA]

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...1-3-2005_pg1_7


6 killed in naval fuel tanker fire, 100 injured

Staff Report

KARACHI: In Pakistan Navy’s worst disaster during peacetime operations, a fire on a naval fuel tanker killed at least six people and injured more than 100 on Thursday afternoon. Fifty-five of the injured are in critical condition.

The dead were all naval personnel while the injured included civilians. According to ISPR, six people were killed aboard PNS Moawin – a fuel tanker – when a fire broke out while the tanker was undergoing maintenance work at the PN Dockyard.

“The incident occurred at 3:00pm. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident and to assess the damage. However, initial investigation showed that the cause of the fire was human error,” ISPR added.

However, sources told Daily Times that 17 people had died on PNS Moawin, which was berthed at naval berth No 4 at PN Dockyard, with about 250 people on board. The death toll was feared to increase because most of the injured suffered from severe burns.

According to unconfirmed reports, highly flammable aviation fuel on the tanker caught fire with an un-extinguished cigarette, causing a blaze so big that navy personnel had little time to evacuate the ship.

Naval hospital PNS Shifa, where most of the injured were taken, ran out of blood and medicine because of the large number of casualties. At least 50 of the injured were in operation theatres when this report was made.

Several dozen ambulances took the injured to PNS Shifa while more than half a dozen helicopters were helping with the emergency relief operation.

[Munir]

A cigarette? I hope they will change policy to stop these bad accidents. PAF is well known for their very strict safety, time to get that in PN.

btw there is a special website concerning this vessel in the Netherlands:

http://www.hrmspoolster.nl/

[MohammedA]

On subject of website, the PN website needs to be updated. It has an old-style frontpage which needs to look more like the PAF one. Plus they need regular news updates on it too.

[SSAAD]

6 killed, 95 hurt in fire on board navy ship

By Arman Sabir and S. Raza Hassan


KARACHI, March 10: At least six people were killed and 95 others suffered burn injuries when a fire broke out on a naval ship at the PN Dockyard here on Thursday.

However, sources said the death toll could rise because there were many cases of severe burns. Official sources said that a fireball erupted all of a sudden from an oil tank of the ship 'PNS Muavin' anchored at dockyard's berth No. 4.

An Inter-Services Public Relations officer of Pakistan Navy said that six people were killed, 55 were seriously injured and another 40 received minor injuries. The injured were being treated at the PNS Shifa.

He said that the PNS Muavin was a logistic ship and was on its annual maintenance drill. It was scheduled to sail in the next fortnight on a world cruise. An inquiry committee had been constituted to determine the cause of the fire.

The medical superintendent of the Civil Hospital, Karachi, Dr Saeed Qureshi, told Dawn that the navy had shifted a seriously injured officer, Lieutenant Khalid, 40, to the burns ward. "The patient has suffered 93 per cent burns and is in a serious condition," Dr Qureshi added.

Administrator of the Burns Centre of the Civil Hospital Dabirur Rehman said he was expecting more injured people to be shifted from the PNS Shifa to the centre. "We have made special arrangements and have kept beds ready," Mr Rehman added.

Dr Qureshi said that PNS Shifa was overburdened by a large number of patients admitted there. "A sizable number of patients need ventilators which are reported to be running short at the PNS Shifa," he added.

In addition to the CHK Burns Centre, about 25 per cent of the patients will probably be moved to the Patel Hospital, PNS Rahat and the Combined Military Hospital, Malir. Those needing ventilators will be shifted on an emergency basis to different hospitals.

The sources said that a contract to clean the ship's oil tanks had been given to a private contractor and the cleaning work was in progress. In some part of the ship, some welding work was also being done.

A civilian employee of the contractor working on the ship became unconscious after inhaling some gases near the tank. Senior officials of the naval ship were informed and when they arrived to see the man, a fireball flashed all of a sudden, injuring the people on the deck.

The incident took place in the port side of the ship, blocking the only gangway and forcing the trapped people to jump into the sea to save their lives. Official sources said that the ship's captain, Commanding Officer Munawar Ahmed, Executive Commanding Officer Irfan, Mechanical Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Kamran, also suffered burns.

Navy's helicopters and ambulances of the Edhi Foundation and other institutions were called out to take the injured to PNS Shifa Hospital, where an emergency was declared.

City government's fire department had been asked to stand by, fire brigade officials said. According to eyewitnesses at the PNS Shifa, helicopters made several trips to the hospital's helipad from where the wounded were rushed to the emergency ward.

[Mohammed Ali]

If the fire was this extensive, it must have caused serious damage to the ship as well. We will probably know shortly if the vessel will be sea worthy or not, and if so, will PN be able to repair the damage done in-house.
It does for the time being hinder most naval operations with only one tanker operational. Any pictures of the damaged ship by any chance?

[Zain Abbass]

On subject of website, the PN website needs to be updated. It has an old-style frontpage which needs to look more like the PAF one. Plus they need regular news updates on it too.

Honestly i believe its too much of a pain to add news to it daily but i do agree with the fact that we need a much more advanced site. The current PAF page has many HTML errors and looks like it was built by 5 year old. I am sure our letters of concern may help get the government to make a new website. Remember to send a Email to the webmaster!

[SyedA]

Pakistan, France to hold joint naval exercises

John Thakur Das

Karachi—French fleet Commander in Indian Ocean Maritime Zone Vice Admiral Xavier Rolin says France and Pakistan will conduct joint naval exercises by the end of this month or first week of April.

He was talking to Pakistan Observer in an exclusive interview at a reception hosted by the Consul General of France in Karachi Jean-Yves Berthault.

The French Navy Commander who leads a 14-ship armada headed by a nuclear submarine said he carried out discussions with Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Mohammad Haroon and Commander Karachi Rear Admiral Asad Qureshi at their respective offices to give final shape to the joint exercises. He had also called on Chairman KPT Vice Admiral Ahmed Hayat to know about port operations.

He disclosed that the French ships were also assisting a joint task force of 10 ships from Pakistan, US and Europe in combating terrorism and piracy on sea. There were apprehensions that the attack on Gawadar Port that killed three Chinese engineers and injured many could have been launched from sea. “So we have intensified patrol and taken extra precautions with an increased vigilance to protect the Gulf and Arabian Sea regions.

Talking about piracy in the region he disclosed that it is a common sight that pirates attacking merchant ships in the region. As many as 600 attacks were made during 2003, which resulted in the killing of 22 sailors and injuring many more, he disclosed.

[SyedA]

JOINT PRODUCTION PROJECT OF F22P

The biggest cooperative project in naval systems between Pakistan and China is the joint production of F22P frigate. According to the Memorandum of Understanding finalized in 2001, the project should have started in 2002, and Karachi Shipyard is expected to construct two of the four contracted F22P frigates in the following seven years. The initial two frigates were built at Hu Dong Shipyard in Shanghai. The Pakistani Navy is also planning to procure another four F22P frigates, making the total eight. The price China offered was US$120 million, and the total cost of the previous four would be around US$480 million. This price did not include weapon systems, helicopters and the corresponding radar and sensor systems to be fitted on board.

At present, the project has been put off till later, and the chance for the finalization of the agreement this year is also slim. The essential problem is that Pakistan does not have the needed financial resources for the procurements, and because of this, Pakistan is considering getting loans from China to solve the problem. Related negotiations are already underway. Karachi Shipyard claims all design work of F22P has been completed. The model F22P put on display by Karachi Shipyard indicates that the vessel has under gone some major changes.

The changes include a newly added rear mast on which the China-made meter wave radar is installed. Secondly, the bridge has been redesigned so as to avoid acute angling of the surface and enhance stealth features. In the original plan that China provided to Pakistan, the frigate will employ LY60 SAM, but now Pakistan has decided to use HHQ7 SAM. The helicopter hangar is also redesigned to accommodate more China-made ESM/ECM facilities. Different from the Chinese Type 053H3 (Jiangwei II) FFG, F22P will be equipped with two 630M CIWS produced by license from Russia. The hull sonar may be from Ukraine. The newly designed F22P has increased its length from the original 114.5m to 118m, and the breadth of the FFG have been changed from the Chinese design of 12.4m to 13.2m and depth 10.2m.

Karachi Shipyard claims Pakistan has accepted the plan of purchasing Z9C, as Z9C has a lower price with equivalent combat performance features. Besides, F22P helicopter hangar is designed specifically for Z9C. The eight SSMs loaded on board are not YJ8-3, a SSM which has been widely deployed on the Chinese Navy’ combat ships, including the new generation 054 FFG and 052B DDG. China claims YJ8-3 is capable of performing terminal stage super-sonic speed flight. The missile system on F22P will still be C802. Unless the construction time has to be put off so late due to funding problems, the FFG will not be fitted with newer missile systems, with respect to the technological progress at that time. What is also under consideration is that F22P will be fitted with new generation NR6A ESM/ECM systems, with one set of antennae on each side. The system is developed by Yangzhou Ship-borne Electronic Equipment Research Institute.

[atter]

Frigates to boost defence

KARACHI (APP) - President General Pervez Musharraf said Monday that ‘the inclusion of P 3 C Orion aircraft, F 22-P Frigates and acquisition of F-16 fighter aircraft, would certainly enhance the offensive punch of our defence.
These state-of-the-art platforms will augment our defence capabilities and play a pivotal role in any future scenario’.
The President was addressing the debrief session of Pakistan Navy’s wargame Shamsheer-e-Bahr-II held at PNS Jauhar this morning.
The President appreciated the close coordination of three services during the exercises and said the lessons emerging from the exercise are very practical and would go a long way in validating Pakistan Navy’s operational plans and doctrines.
He emphasised that good cohesion and coordination between the three Armed Forces would prove to be a key to all solutions.
He further said the economy and defence are the two pillars on which the very existence and prosperity of any nation rests. It is heartening to note that we have cemented both the pillars, he added.
The President congratulated the three services for a very well conducted exercise and commended the efforts of all concerned. He said that lessons learnt and the recommendations made are very viable and will be given due consideration by the government.
Earlier, in his welcome address Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Shahid Karimullah said this war game conducted bi-annually is an extension of joint services-level exercise Sabit Qadam-II. The exercise enabled Pakistan Navy to dwell upon its concepts and war plans. He apprised the audience that this year the exercise was conducted on a wider canvas with a greater participation from sister services.
The Officer Conducting the Exercise Rear Admiral Iftikhar Ahmad apprised the audience that Shamsheer-e-Bahr-II is a series of conceptual tri- services war game to assess the maritime threat and to evolve maritime strategy consonant to the prevailing geo- political situation. He gave a detailed account of the war game, analysis, lessons learnt and recommendations.
Later, presentations were made by the Commanders of Army and Air Force deliberating on their respective concepts of operations.
The exercise-planning phase started in September last year which was followed by the preliminary stage. War games were conducted in the first week of March, which were followed by extensive analysis and debrief sessions.
The debrief session was attended by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of Air Staff, Foreign Minister, Vice Chief of Army Staff, Minister of State for Defence and a number of high ranking officers from three services and participating officers.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/mar-2005/29/index9.php

[Boota]

JOINT PRODUCTION PROJECT OF F22P
What is also under consideration is that F22P will be fitted with new generation NR6A ESM/ECM systems, with one set of antennae on each side. The system is developed by Yangzhou Ship-borne Electronic Equipment Research Institute.

Is Kanwa alluding to the Aegis type system developed by the Chinese and installed on some of their DDGs?