The launching ceremony of 1st ship of Type-054 Class Frigate constructed for Pakistan Navy was held at Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard Shanghai, China, said a statement issued by Pakistan Navy’s Director General Public Relations in Islamabad on Sunday.

The ceremony was graced by Commodore Azfar Humayun (Chief Naval Overseer, China) as chief guest in presence of China Shipbuilding Trading Co, Ltd (CSTC) Chairman Mr Li Hongtao.

The launching event has been marked as a major milestone in the construction of state-of-the-art frigate for the Pakistan Navy. The Type-054 Class, fitted with the latest surface, subsurface, anti-air weapons, combat management system and sensors will be one of the technologically advanced surface platforms of the Pakistan Navy fleet. This ship will significantly contribute to maintaining peace and security in our area of responsibility, the Navy statement said.

Earlier, addressing the ceremony, the chief guest termed the event a new chapter in the Pakistan-China defence relationship. He also acknowledged the commitment and dedication of Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard, China and inexorable support provided by CSTC for continuity of programme despite Covid-19 pandemic.

The ceremony was attended by officials of Pakistan Navy and CSTC/ Hudong Shipyard.

Pakistan Navy Spokesperson Rear Admiral Muhammad Arshid Javed also tweeted this development.

https://twitter.com/dgprPaknavy/status/1297412567934140416

It is pertinent to note that the Type 054A is a multi-role frigate and this is the first of four vessels on order by Pakistan.