Until today, the exact configuration of the PN Milgem-class (also known as the Babur-class) corvettes has not been made public by ASFAT, but after having laid keel of the four corvettes meant to the Pakistan Navy, the Turkish contractor shared some new details with Naval News during DIMDEX 2022 in Qatar.
As a reminder, in July 2018, a contract was signed between Turkey’s Military Factory and Shipyard Management Corporation (ASFAT) and Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense Ammunition Production and Karachi Shipyard for the construction of four Milgem-class ships. The contract calls for the construction of two corvettes at Istanbul Naval Shipyard in Turkey and two at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW). The contract also provides for the transfer of design rights and construction know-how from Turkey to Pakistan.
The keel laying for the first corvette took place on 4 June 2020 at Istanbul Naval Shipyard, the second ship one of the class on 25 October 2020, the third on 1 May 2021 at Karachi Shipyard, and the fourth and final ship on 5 November 2021. The first two are expected to be delivered in 2023 by the Pakistan Navy, and in 2024 for the other two.
“We expect the first ship to be delivered at the end of 2022 or beginning of 2023, and then one vessel every 6 month.”
Mesut Zafer Sari, Business Development Manager of ASFAT
ASFAT provided the following data regarding the specifications of the ship:
- Displacement: 2,985 tonnes
- Length: 108.2 m
- Beam: 14.8 m
- Draft: 4.05 m
- Propulsion: CODAG
- Max speed: +26 knots
- Cruising speed: 14 knots
- Range: 4000 nautical miles
- Endurance: 15 days at sea
- Crew: 142
The ships will be fitted with a CODAG propulsion system with two diesel engines, one LM2500 gas turbine from GE, and two controllable pitch propellers (CPP). The total propulsion power will be 31,600 kilowatts.
For their sensors suite, the corvettes will feature a SMART-S Mk2 radar and a STIR fire control radar (both by Thales), a navigation radar, LPI radar, laser warning system, YAKOMOS hull-mounted sonar system by Meteksan Savunma – currently used on Turkish Ada-class corvettes, torpedo countermeasures systems, infrared (IR) search and track system and IR monitoring system.
The weapons and combat systems include 12 VLS for the Albatros NG system which consists of CAMM-ER surface to air missiles from MBDA. Thus, Pakistan Navy is the launch customer of this new naval air defense system. Other weapon systems include a 76mm main gun by Leonardo, six Harbah Anti-ship and land-attack missiles developed in Pakistan, a Gokdeniz CIWS and two STOP 35mm remote weapon stations by Aselsan. Havelsan will supply the Genesis Advent combat management system (CMS).
The ships will be able to house a Z9-EC helicopter and a Scan Eagle UAV in its hangar. A boat davit and aft boat ramp system will allow embarking two RHIBS – one of six meters long and another one of 7.5 meters.
