ISLAMABAD – The first vessel in the Pakistani Naval Forces’ Agosta 90BClass Submarine Modernization Project, which provided Turkey with the firstexport in submarine design and engineering services, will be launched thismonth.
In 2016, Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade (STM) won themodernization tender in a competition with a $350 million contract againsta French company that builds submarines.
As part of the project for the modernization of the Agosta 90B-classsubmarines, Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Co. had a tough andlong competition process with the French DCNS Shipyard, which carried outthe design and production of the submarines. The Turkish company wasevaluated as being technically and commercially superior and was chosen asthe main contractor by the Pakistani Defense Ministry at the end of thetender process.
Murat İkinci, STM’s general manager, told Anadolu Agency (AA) Friday thatPakistan granted the modernization project of its French-madediesel-electric submarines to a Turkish company since it had confidence inthe progress and engineering experience that Turkey has achieved in thisregard. Indicating that the company signed the contract a long time ago andsuccessfully brought it up to this level, İkinci said, “Hopefully, by theend of this month, we are will complete the outfitting of our first shipand launch it and begin its tests, including diving tests.”
The STM initially signed contracts for two submarines within the scope ofthe project. Although the contract on the third ship has not been signedyet, the STM aims to finish it quickly after the first ship’s navigationalexperience is completed, the general manager said. “Pakistan also aims tomodernize three submarines in its inventory. We can clearly say that wewill sign the contract as a result of the success of the first vessel. Wedo not think there will be any setbacks here,” he added.
The tender, which included the half-life modernization of the Agosta90B-class submarine, was later expanded with the addition of themodernization of the second submarine. Following this, Defense TechnologiesEngineering and Trade Co. created new jobs within the scope of the projectthrough the success and confidence it provided. The contract change, whichincluded torpedo countermeasure systems and acoustic measurement sensors,is aimed at giving new capabilities to Pakistani submarines.
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The project is important because it is the first time a Turkish company hasbeen chosen as the main contractor for an overseas submarine project. Thisproject has paved the way for the export of undersea design and engineeringservices for the first time.
Within the scope of modernization activities undertaken by the STM, theentire sonar suite of the submarine ship, periscope systems, and commandand control system, as well as the radar and electronic support systems,are being replaced by Turkish military software developed by HAVELSAN.
KAŞİF, the geographic information system (GIS) software developed byHAVELSAN through domestic means, is being used in the infrastructure of theCommand and Control System of Pakistan’s submarine. The Sonar IntegratedSubmarine Command Control System (SEDA), developed by HAVELSAN, is alsobeing integrated into the Agosta 90B submarine, making it Turkey’s firstexport item in this field as well.
Moreover, ASELSAN’s Zargana Torpedo Countermeasures System has also beenused in the modernized Agosta 90B submarine of the Pakistan Navy.
