ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has signed a contract with China for the purchase oftwo more Type 054A frigates.

The contract was signed with China Shipbuilding Trading Co Ltd (CSTC) atthe Ministry of Defence Production in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Navy announcedon June 1.

The agreement is in addition to a previous order by the Pakistan Navy inJune last year for two Type 054A frigates, thereby raising the total orderto four warships that are expected to be delivered in 2021.

While details about the agreement have not yet been revealed, *The Diplomatlink>*estimatedthe cost of a single vessel at approximately $348 million.

The navy is also slated to receive eight Type 039A Yuan-classdiesel-electric submarines from China by 2028, with four of them to bedelivered by 2023. The contract for the eight submarines was signed betweenthe two countries in 2015