Pakistan is acquiring four Turkish Project MILGEM corvettes while Turkey is buying 52 Pakistani Super Mushshak training planes under agreements signed during the 2017 IDEF defence exhibition in Istanbul, on May 10.
Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Limited (KSEW) from Pakistan, signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Turkish STM for the corvette-construction.
According to an announcement from the Turkish Defence Industries Undersecretariat (SSM), the deal is expected to be finalized on June 30, 2017.
Once finalized, the deal will be the biggest export deal in the history of Turkish defense industry, according to the announcement. This will also be STM’s third contract with Pakistan, following a 2016 deal to refit Pakistan’s Agosta-class submarines and an earlier contract for the construction of a Pakistan Navy fleet tanker.
While Turkey will be providing Pakistan with corvettes, Pakistan will be delivering its Super Mushshak training planes built by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex – Kamra. The Mushshak aircraft will replace the T-41 and SF-260 planes currently used by Turkey.
The 99.5-meter ADA class corvettes that are in service with the Turkish Navy are anti-submarine warfare (ASW) oriented vessels designed to embark ASW/ASUW helicopters and fitted with Harpoon missiles and a 76 mm gun.
Employing the CODAG propulsion system, the corvettes are capable of achieving speeds of around 29 knots.