Pakistan Aheading To Purchase 8 Submarines From China

Pakistan‬ will procure eight ‪submarines‬ from ‪China‬ to further strengthen its defence. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence was informed today during its meeting in Islamabad that a contact was made with France for the supply of new sub marines which declined their supply while it has already supplied these submarines to ‪India‬. It was informed that contact was also made with countries for the purchase of these sub marines but the Chinese submarines were found more feasible to meet requirements of our Navy.

 

The Committee was also informed that the Government is also in contact with ‪France‬, ‪‎UK‬ and ‪Germany‬ to purchase used sub marines. It was also disclosed in the meeting that contacts have been made with various countries to sale JF-17 Thunder fighter plane besides other defence technology. The committee was also told that defence ties with ‪‎Russia‬ are improving gradually.

I was a rookie reporter nine years ago in October 2005 when, in the main ceremonial room of the Indian MoD, then Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt and then Ambassador of France, the tempestuous Dominique Girard, signed the Indian government's contract for six Scorpene submarines. I had spent just over a year on the defence beat at The Indian Express. The P75 submarine build programme was one of the biggest developing stories at the time. 

 It would be the new UPA government's first defence deal, and the Indian Navy was desperate for an early conclusion. Only two weeks before the signing at the MoD, I and a small group of other reporters were huddled in a small conference room at Delhi's Hyatt Hotel receiving a briefing from Germany's HDW on the Class 214 submarine. We were only journalists, but it was a final effort to pitch the U-boat as a better product than the French offering that would defeat it less than 14 days later.

Nearly a decade later, the Germans are back in the race. Presumably. (No maker of submarines has officially declared interest in the P75I competition since it was cleared for a 'Make in India' route earlier this month.) Cleared of corruption allegations in the Shishumar-class build programme, the Germans still smart at how they lost the 2005 deal. And they'll be competing to make good. But, in every way -- every possible way -- the P75I programme is likely to be more complicated, contentious and competitive than its predecessor. The Class 214, which squared off against the Scorpene in the final race the last time, could face at least four worthy competitors this time. All come with their own technical, capability-centric and political pros and cons:

All six submarines will be built in India at an Indian shipyard. By December, the MoD has committed to identifying the public and private shipyards capable of taking on such work. Apart from Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) and L&T's shipyards (the only two currently engaged in submarine building work), the MoD will size up Cochin Shipyard Ltd, GRSE, GSL, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) and Pipavav, among prospective others. 

Here's the original P75I request for information from years ago, which originally envisaged two submarines built by the OEM and four in an Indian shipyard:

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR PROCUREMENT OF 06 CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINES UNDER PROJECT 75(I) 

1. INDIAN NAVY IS IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING A CONTEMPORARY CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINE FOR CONSTRUCTION AS FOLLOWS:- 

(A) TWO SUBMARINES AT COLLABORATORS SHIPYARD. 

(B) FOUR SUBMARINES AT TWO INDIAN SHIPYARDS. 

2. INDIAN NAVY REQUESTS INFORMATION FROM FIRMS WHO HAVE INDEPENDENTLY DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED A COMPLETE MODERN CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINE WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN SERVICE / UNDERGOING SEA TRIALS. THE SUBMARINE SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF OPERATING IN OPEN OCEAN AND LITTORAL / SHALLOW WATERS IN DENSE ASW AND EW ENVIRONMENT AND ABLE TO UNDERTAKE FOLLOWING MISSIONS:-

(A) ANTI SURFACE AND ANTI SUBMARINE WARFARE.
(B) SUPPORTING OPERATIONS ASHORE.
(C) ISR MISSIONS.
(D) SPECIAL FORCE AND MINING OPS.

3. PROSPECTIVE COLLABORATORS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD DATA REGARDING THE FOLLOWING CAPABILITIES OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN:- 

(A) MAXIMUM DIVING DEPTH WITHOUT LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF DIVES. 

(B) MAXIMUM OPERATING RANGE (DIVED-SNORT-SURFACE) AND MISSION ENDURANCE. 

(C) AIR INDEPENDENT PROPULSION SYSTEM BEING OFFERED. 

(D) SURFACE DISPLACEMENT AND RESERVE BUOYANCY. 

(E) INDISCRETION RATE.

(F) SEA WATER SPECIFIC GRAVITY OPERATING RANGE. 

(G) TORPEDO TUBES WITH CAPABILITY TO LAUNCH LONG RANGE HEAVY WEIGHT WIRE GUIDED TORPEDOES, MISSILES AND METHOD FOR WEAPON DISCHARGE. 

(H) EXTERNALLY LAUNCHED TORPEDO DECOY SYSTEM. 

(J) INTEGRATED COMBAT SYSTEM (DETAILS OF PROSPECTIVE SUPPLIERS TO BE PROVIDED). 

(K) CONTEMPORARY LOW NOISE PROPULSION AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM. 

(L) AUXILIARY MOTORS WITH TAKE HOME CAPABILITY. 

(M) CONTEMPORARY IPMS, SMCS, APMS. 

(N) AC SYSTEM CUSTOMISED FOR OPERATION IN TROPICAL WATERS CHARACTERISED BY HIGH TEMPERATURE AND HIGH HUMIDITY CONDITIONS. 

4. THE FOLLOWING DATA IN RESPECT OF THE PROPOSED SUBMARINE BE PROVIDED ALONG WITH RESPONSE TO RFI:- 

(A) RADIATED NOISE LEVELS IN FREQUENCY BAND 30 Hz TO 10000Hz (db // REF μPa) AT SPEED OF 5 KNOTS AND 10 KN 

(B) NOISE AND VIBRATION DATA FOR MAJOR PROPULSION AND AUXILIARY MACHINERY (C) MANOEUVRABILITY & STABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 

5. THE RESPONSE TO THIS RFI SHOULD ALSO ELABORATE THE FOLLOWING:-

(A) SCOPE AND DEPTH FOR TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY (TOT) FOR SUBMARINE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION AND PRODUCTION OF KEY SYSTEMS/SUBSYSTEMS AT INDIAN SHIPYARD / BY INDIAN INDUSTRY.
(B) PLAN FOR DISCHARGE OF OFFSET COMMITMENTS AS ENUMERATED IN THE "DEFENCE PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE – 2008" AT WEBSITE WWW.MOD.NIC.IN. 

(C) FEASIBILITY AND PROPOSED APPROACH FOR USE OF ITEMS / EQUIPMENTS SOURCED FROM INDIAN INDUSTRY ON THE SUBMARINE. 

(D) PLAN FOR TRAINING SHIPYARD PERSONNEL FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND INDIAN NAVY PERSONNEL IN ASPECTS OF SUBMARINE DESIGN. 

6. IT IS REQUESTED THAT THE RESPONSE TO THIS RFI BE FORWARDED BY 30 SEP 10.

Source: Livefist

Naval Dockyard Attack - Enemy powers seeking pores in the Pakistan Armed Forces

Navy on Tuesday remained tight-lipped on the defence minister’s claim in parliament that the weekend Karachi dockyard attack was an inside job. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking on a point of order by PPP Senator Raza Rabbani, said “some of the navy staff of commissioned ranks and some outsiders” were involved in the terrorist strike.

Pakistan Navy’s public relations wing said on Monday night that its troops had thwarted an attack on the Karachi dockyard on Saturday in which one of its soldier lost his life while defending the facility. Two militants were killed and four others were apprehended by naval security personnel. Some of the attackers were said to be wearing navy uniforms. The defence minister promised to lay more details about the attack before parliament on Wednesday. It is claimed that some navy men were also involved in the 2011 attack on Mehran Base, which is the deadliest attack so far on a navy installation.

A navy spokesman when contacted to comment on the claims about the involvement of some navy personnel in the dockyard attack said several arrests had been made from Karachi and other cities. He, however, refused to say if there were navy personnel among the dead or arrested attackers.

“Disclosing such sensitive information at this stage could compromise our investigations that are still continuing for unearthing the network,” the spokesman said. He did not speak either on the reports that one of the attackers reportedly killed in the incident – Owais Jakhrani — was a former navy sailor, who had quit a few months ago. Twenty-five-year-old Owais was son of SSP Ali Sher Jakhrani. 

 

Federal Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khwaja Muhammad Asif addressing press conference

 

“The body was handed over to the hospital and we do not have any further details to offer,” another navy spokesperson said. He avoided commenting on the links of the militants. “It’s too early to say that”. The proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack. A person identifying himself as TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid sent messages to journalists, saying: “We claim responsibility for the attack on navy in Karachi.”

He claimed that support from “inside navy” had helped the TTP carry out the strike. Shahid vowed to carry out more attacks against the armed forces in future. Police investigators in Karachi said a body found along the seashore on Sunday was that of Owais Jakhrani. “It’s our own investigation which suggested that Owais was one of the attackers who targeted the navy’s dockyard facility,” Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo told Dawn.

“There was no bullet wound on his body. Though he died of drowning, he was one of the attackers. Initially, police took the body as of a drowning victim and shifted it to the Edhi morgue. Details emerged later to determine the facts and identity of the deceased,” he added. Referring to his talks with SSP Jakhrani, who was in Saudi Arabia on an official visit, Mr Thebo said Owais had been recruited as a commissioned officer in the navy and quit the force some four to five months ago to join civil service.

“He left home on Friday informing the family that he was leaving for Islamabad. The family was under an impression that he was in Islamabad, but someone called his father in Saudi Arabia that his son was killed; go and get his body from Edhi morgue,” he said. The facts shared by the city police chief, however, failed to quell the mystery shrouding the incident. Even police findings were not confirmed by the navy. 

 

In this photograph taken on July 10, 2006, Pakistani naval personnel give the final touches to the third Agosta 90 B Submarine named as 'Hamza' at The Pakistan Navy Dockyard in Karachi (File Photo)

“We were not aware any of such incident (recovery and identification of Owais Jakhrani’s body)” said a navy spokesman. “We have already shared the details with the media and we stick to those facts. We are not aware of the reason behind the police claim so we cannot confirm that.” Although the police authorities confirmed that Owais was one of the attackers, they distanced themselves from investigation into the attack, saying it was solely the navy’s job. That was perhaps the reason which restricted the law-enforcement agency to register an FIR of the attack.

If the facts shared by police and the navy are relied on, the number of attackers may rise. There was no word from the Karachi police about information which led them to believe that Owais was involved in the attack. If he was, the question about the cause of his death remains unanswered. There is also a question why his body could not be spotted by security forces fighting the attackers. Security sources see the fresh assault as a signal of global terrorism network’s revival in Pakistan.

“There are signs which suggest that the attack was carried out with the assistance of people within the force,” said a security official. “It is believed that the attack was carried out by Al Qaeda with help from within the Pakistan Navy. Al Qaeda in Pakistan is showing signs of revival. One cannot ignore recent announcement of Al Qaeda having formed an Indian branch of the militant group to spread Islamic rule and raise the flag of jihad across the subcontinent.”

Meanwhile, Owais Jakhrani was buried in Tark-i-Ali graveyard in Jacobabad. His funeral prayer was offered in the ground of a government school and attended by his relatives and a large number of people.

 

Source: dawn.com

Photo Courtesy: APP & AFP

In year 2014, China-Pakistan relationship could play a major role to build a massive submarine attack power for Pakistan Navy

Pakistan could sign a deal to buy up to six submarines from China before the end of 2014, senior Pakistani government officials have told IHS Jane's.

Pakistan's submarine fleet currently comprises Agosta 90B boats (second-of-class Saad is pictured) and ageing Agosta 70 vessels.

A Pakistani government minister revealed in March 2011 that China had offered to sell up to six submarines to Pakistan although he did not specify details of the boats on offer. Western officials in Islamabad suggest that China's subsequent international marketing of the 'S20' or Yuan-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK) suggests it could be a potential option for Pakistan.

A senior Pakistani government official told IHS Jane's that "the technical details are almost done. The present discussions are mainly about the financing details". A second Pakistani government official confirmed that "the contract is in an advanced stage and discussions will not linger on for too long. Realistically, we should have a deal by end 2014".

The submarine contract would further cement China's rapidly growing role as the main supplier of military hardware to Pakistan's armed forces and fill an important gap in Pakistan Navy (PN) capabilities. The PN is known to operate five French submarines: three Agosta 90B (Khalid-class) submarines purchased in the 1990s and two ageing Agosta 70 (Hashmat-class) boats dating from the late 1970s. In 2009, the PN sought to purchase three German-built Type 214 submarines, but the plan was put on hold due to costs that at the time were reported to be in excess of USD2 billion.

 

China's international marketing of the 'S20' or Yuan-class SSK suggests it could be a potential option for Pakistan. (Robert Foster)

Recent Sino-Pakistan contracts of potential interest to Islamabad's strategic interests include China's agreement to provide two large civil nuclear reactors to be based close to Karachi. According to Pakistani officials China's Eximbank agreed to extend a USD6.5 billion loan for the two reactors.

Additionally, the Sino-Pakistani-built JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft is reportedly the subject of talks between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: a potential deal that Western officials said would not be discussed without Beijing's explicit consent.

 

COMMENT

A Sino-Pakistan submarine contract will be closely watched by Western officials for any signs that may suggest progression towards nuclear-powered boats. Pakistan's defence planners consider the absence of such a platform - which they would eventually want to see armed with submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles - as major disadvantage in a potential conflict with India.

However, Western officials believe China will hesitate to extend such advanced technology to Pakistan given the potential for a harsh reaction from the United States and its allies.

 

Source: IHS Jane's Defence Weekly