VESSEL REVIEW | Taimur – Chinese-built missile frigate for Pakistan Navy

The Pakistan Navy recently commissioned its newest Tughril-class guided missile frigate into service.

PNS Taimur is the second in a planned class of four frigates that are the first export variants of the Type 054A ships originally designed and built for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) but with modifications to satisfy the operational requirements of the Pakistan Navy, hence the alternate designation of Type 054A/P. The final two ships in the Tughril-class are in various stages of construction at Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai where some of the PLAN’s own Type 054A frigates were also built.

As with its sisters, Taimur will be used on anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and anti-air warfare (AAW) missions in an area of operations that will include parts of the Indian Ocean. The Tughril-class frigates were selected to fulfill these roles in place of the now-decommissioned Tariq-class destroyers originally designed in the 1970s and acquired secondhand by Pakistan from the UK in the 1990s.

The frigate has a length of 134 metres, a beam of 16 metres, a displacement of 4,200 tonnes, and four Shaanxi 16 PA6 STC 5,700kW engines in a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) configuration. The engines deliver a maximum speed of 27 knots and a range of 8,025 nautical miles.

The array of armament includes anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, ASW rockets, torpedoes, a 76mm naval gun, and two 30mm close-in weapon systems (CIWS). Decoy launchers are also fitted as a defensive measure against missile attacks. Targeting of airborne and surface threats is done with the aid of a VHF air search radar, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and separate fire control radars for use with the 76mm naval gun and the missiles, respectively. Two I-band navigation radars are also fitted.

The aviation facilities include a helicopter deck and a hangar. These facilities can accommodate either unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or a Z-9EC helicopter that can be armed with torpedoes and missiles to augment the frigate’s own ASW and ASuW capability.

Click here for more news stories, feature articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month’s focus on maritime security vessels.