The Pakistani Navy is conducting a worldwide search for between four and eight second-hand frigates to bridge a near-term gap in its surface fleet, according to the service's most senior officer. Speaking to Jane's at the DIMDEX 2008 exhibition and conference in Doha, Qatar, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir said that the service had identified a need to acquire second-hand ships as a matter of priority. "We have four new F-22P frigates on order from China, with the last one to be built locally at Karachi," he said, "and we have also recently released a [request for proposals] to a number of shipyards for a follow-on class. "But at the same time our six [ex-UK Royal Navy] Type 21 frigates are now approaching the end of their lives. So for meeting our immediate needs we have been looking at the second-hand market."
展开▼
