ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy has taken a major stride toward full-spectrummaritime dominance as its second Babur-class (PN MILGEM) corvette, PNSKhaibar (F-282), successfully completed live weapon firing tests in Turkishwaters with 100 per cent accuracy, striking all 12 designated surface, airand land targets in a single coordinated sequence.
Conducted under the supervision of Turkish shipbuilder ASFAT and witnessedby senior Pakistan Navy officers, the trials saw the simultaneous andsequential engagement of the ship’s entire combat suite: the 76 mm SuperRapido main gun, GÖKDENİZ close-in weapon system, ATMACA anti-shipmissiles, HISAR-O surface-to-air missiles, and torpedoes. Every weaponachieved direct hits with zero deviation, demonstrating not only thematurity of the platform but also the seamless integration of sensors,command systems and effectors.
The firepower of a modern multi-role corvette like PNS Khaibar isexponentially greater than that of the ageing Tariq-class frigates it willreplace. A single Babur-class vessel can engage multiple air threats out to70 km, destroy surface combatants beyond 280 km with hypersonic-capablemunitions, and deliver precision strikes against land targets whileremaining fully defended against incoming missiles and aircraft. Thislayered, networked lethality transforms the Pakistan Navy from a coastaldefence force into a genuine blue-water fleet capable of area denial andsea control far from home waters.
When the remaining two ships, PNS Badr and PNS Tariq, join the fleet by2026-27, Pakistan will possess four heavily armed corvettes with identicalcombat systems, enabling true task-group operations for the first time.Combined with the four Type 054A/P frigates already in service, the Navywill field eight modern surface combatants equipped with long-range sensorsand vertical-launch missiles — a capability that directly addresses thenumerical and technological advantage India has enjoyed in the surfacefleet for two decades.
The strategic timing is unmistakable. India is inducting new destroyers,frigates and aircraft carriers at a rapid pace, while expanding itspresence in the Arabian Sea and attempting to choke Pakistan’s maritimelifelines. PNS Khaibar’s flawless performance sends a clear message: anyattempt to impose a blockade or disrupt CPEC sea routes will be met withoverwhelming and precise retaliatory firepower.
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Equally important is the indigenous dimension. While PNS Babur and PNSKhaibar were built in Istanbul, PNS Badr and PNS Tariq are underconstruction at Karachi Shipyard with substantial technology transfer. Thesuccessful trials of the second Turkish-built hull therefore serve as finalvalidation before serial production shifts to Pakistan, guaranteeingsustainability, faster repairs and future upgrades under national control.
PNS Khaibar is expected to be formally handed over to the Pakistan Navy inDecember 2025 or January 2026, making it the fifth major surface combatantcommissioned in just four years — a pace of modernisation unmatched in thecountry’s history.
Source:www.turkiyetoday.com/world/pakistans-pns-khaibar-corvette-successfully-completes-live-firing-tests-hits-12-targe-3209057″>https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/turkish-built-warship-nears-pakistan-delivery-after-live-fire-trials”>https://www.turkiyetoday.com/world/pakistans-pns-khaibar-corvette-successfully-completes-live-firing-tests-hits-12-targe-3209057Source:www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/turkish-built-warship-nears-pakistan-delivery-after-live-fire-trials”>https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/turkish-built-warship-nears-pakistan-delivery-after-live-fire-trials