Jane's Defence Weekly

Pakistan aims to strengthen its shipbuilding capabilities

Jon Grevatt Jane's Asia-Pacific Industry Reporter-Bangkok

The Pakistani government is to strengthen its naval and commercial shipbuilding capabilities with the modernisation of Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) and the construction of two additional yards, it has emerged.

Captain Muhammad Shakil Naz of the Pakistan Navy, project director at KSEW - currently Pakistan's only major shipbuilder - told Jane's on 23 January that completion of the whole project could take up to four years.

Under the modernisation plan an upgrade of KSEW commenced in late 2007 and is expected to be complete within 18 months, while two new shipyards will be constructed in Gwadar, in Balochistan Province, and Port Qasim near Karachi in Sindh Province.

It is anticipated that construction of the new yards - which will be privately owned, unlike government-run KSEW - will take two years to complete folílíowing a two-year design and development process.

Although the Pakistani government envisages that the two new yards would be focused on commercial ships, Capt Naz said that it is likely that naval vessels will also be built there.

"It is dependent on the kind of investors that this project attracts, but we are looking for the yards to be equipped with facilities to produce both naval and commercial ships," he said. "If naval orders are made, we envisage that the ships will be produced [by] KSEW or [by] the new yards."

The requests for proposals (RfPs) for the construction of the two new yards were issued in late 2007 and responses were initially due to be submitted to KSEW, which is piloting the project, on 15 February 2007.

The RfP submission date, said Capt Naz, has now been rescheduled to 15 March to avoid a clash with the country's planned general election on 18 February.

Capt Naz added that the upgrade of KSEW - which includes the construction of new workshops and the upgrade of existing ones - had become necessary as it was close to reaching its maximum capability.

Current projects at the shipyard include the construction of four Chinese-designed Sword-class frigates (previously F-22P), the first of which had its keel laid in July 2007. The first frigate, PNS Zulfiquari, is scheduled to bedelivered to the Pakistan Navy by 2009, with all four ships expected to enter service by 2013.

KSEW is also preparing to build three new submarines for the Pakistan Navy to replace its legacy Hashmat-class (Agosta) boats. Islamabad is scheduled to nominate a chosen design in the next few months from either Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems' Type 214 design or the Scorpene design from DCNS of France.

Capt Naz confirmed that a design had still not been chosen and that KSEW was "waiting for the government's decision".

© 2008 Jane's Information Group
=======================================
=======================================

Sounds like PN will be relying on the local private industry for some of its requirements...

It's imperative we start to construct large scale ships on our own, something we have always lacked. In the past perhaps there wasn’t that great a concern but with expansion of our Navy, the Indian threat and the multiple assets that we now have to cover with the opening of more ports this issue is vital.

The coming years will be very exciting for the Navy.

I think these private shipyards will want to win PN's contracts and may offer attractive designs...at least in the corvette range. It is an ideal time for eager investors of Gwadar and Port Qasim yards to explore joint-ventures with Yonca-Onuk, TKMS, DCN, etc, in various areas to settle PN's various requirements. IMO it would be the better solution than buying off-the-shelf from the West...I'd rather see the above firms assist the local yards with designs and production at home. Plus with hulls being built in Pakistan, we may see the rise of private electronic (radar, sensors, etc) and weapon-system (missiles, torpedoes) companies in Pakistan.

Agree 100% and the designs will go way beyond the corvette dimensions to large scale destroyers etc. You are spot on with the issue to do with collaborations as opposed to buying off the shelf which has a great lag time, is without key infrastructure investments and little can be done to tailor such systems to Pakistani requirements. The government should give the green light straight away. Our Sothern flank region will be a hive of activity.

The government envisage a series of ports that will form an arc of sorts which the Navy has ambitious plans for.

I am hoping to see the local development of a "frigate equivalent to JF-17" type project in the near future...joint-ventures with firms like TKMS, Denel, Thales, etc.

What is the possibility of Sonmiani port in near future? Have you heard anything from someone in navy?

I think Pasni port is also functioning. where is the submarine base -- in Pasni sea port. Jinnah base.

oooooooooo bhensssssssssssssssssssssssss

ksew has the capability to built ships upto 25000 tonnage but it has on one dock who is capable to hold such project the other one is short in lenght .we actually needs bid docks in deep water so that we can handle big cargo ships of over 100000 tonnage for repairing n built purposes.ksew is currently handling tankers project n frigate project of navy.

KSEW has 1 F-22P, 4 corvettes, 2 tankers, 2 auxiliary ships and 4 missile boats...as well as the 3 SSKs to be chosen.

We can start of by training people by making military ships in cooperatin with our allies.

What we need to go onto is self development of naval ships as well as regular ships sued for trade and transport etc.

If we try we could make the coast a ship building centre ofthe region and maybe the world if we try ahrd enough.

We have location, we have the people, we need the will.

And the money. But money will be easy to get if you have will and political stability.

We can simply start by making dry docking facilities like Jaddaf dry docks (Dubai) or ADSB (Abu Dhabi Ship building), where commercial tugs, boats, rigs & supply vessels are dry docked for classification etc.

The wait listing on dry docks itself is long and also the affair quite costly. We should get our dry docks approved by Lloyds & Bureau Veritas .. I am sure not only technology but huge economic benefit can be reaped just like Bangladesh.

Also it would help sustain our recently launched maritime policy as our local ships would need repair facilities and we don't have one except KWSB and mind you as people have mentioned KWSB already has it's hands full.

I believe there is also a plan to build a large dry dock on the Pak-China border along the Karakorum Highway. I'll try to find the article.

http://www.brecorder.com.pk/index.php?id=6...m=&supDate=

Lets hope we take advantage of that massive increase.

Weren't Pakistan and turkey making in total 10 subz (4 for pakistan and 6 for Turkey)

Neither of them finalized their respective SSK deals...

Our deal with Germany should be finalizing soon, correct?

Probably after the elections.

Good... I'm looking forward to seeing those subs...

QUOTE(Mark Sien @ Feb 7 2008, 06:11 PM)
http://www.brecorder.com.pk/index.php?id=6...m=&supDate=



Lets hope we take advantage of that massive increase.

Good but where the heck is our private sector !

hehe obviously hoping to bite into ship manufacturing - the brecorder article is older than the opening topic post. I think we will see KSEW, GSEW and PQSEW all compete for commercial ship orders, the African and Latin American markets will require them. IMO the goal of Gwadar, Karachi & Pakistan in general may not be to a competitor to Dubai/Doha...but rather as a industrial backbone. The skilled workers, materials, etc, can all be available for the Gulf Arabs at competitive prices...and they can use it as leverage in their dealings with Westerners. Also we can create Multi-National Companies out of Pakistani firms and have head-offices in Dubai, Doha - and as far as KL, Singapore, etc...simply to market our products. We got 2 new shipyards in the works, Inshallah we will see many more by 2020 - as well as other manufacturing industries. Pakistan's goal should be to become the industrial manufacturing & technological R&D zone of the Muslim world...

Regarding defence.

I think the private industry would have better luck in establishing joint-ventures and or design assistance from German & French shipyards such as TKMS & DCN. For instance if Gwadar Yards was to compete for the PN future FFG, I think they can come up with an attractive design using design assistance from TKMS/DCN a lot better than KSEW...look at the exponential growth factor, from nowhere we're getting 2 private shipyards. If we're looking into the expansion of our surface fleet in the long-term, then I think a 2600-3000 multi-mission FFG (as mainstay) is something GSEW to look into...while perhaps offering a future SSK project to PQSEW...and raising KSEW to more strategic-oriented projects, like a SSN, etc.

The hope is that GSEW and PQSEW will expand and move into sustained military and commercial shipbuilding.

IMO from 2010 the PN can introduce a 15-20 year modernization plan that can keep them busy. Plus with the hull-manufacturing private, we may also see the rise of private electronic, radar/sensor & weapon-system firms to compete with AWC, NDC, etc. I wouldn't mind seeing Pakistani AShW, ASW & AAW naval weapons...neither would PN.

Pakistan's goal should be to become the industrial manufacturing & technological R&D zone of the Muslim world...


very good!

I hope go through international cooperation, Pakistan could start design and produce own vessels, such as submarine, frigate, shipfeeder and so on, become a great naval power in the south Aisa.