Recapitalisation
Neighbouring Pakistan is responding to the IN build-up with its own SSK re-capitalisation programme. It has decided to buy the S26 – an export variant of the PLAN’s Type 039B – from China. The Pakistan Navy (PN) needs to replace its ageing pair of Hashmat-class Agosta 70A and three Agosta 90B SSKs and has a requirement for up to eight boats.
“The Chinese boats are most likely going to carry a robust offensive strike capability in the form of SLCMs for land attack. The existing fleet of French builds is ageing and no longer economical to maintain in service, so the Chinese boats are meant to block-replace all these eventually,” Collin said. Meanwhile the PN is upgrading the Agosta 90Bs under a $350 million contract with Turkish shipbuilder STM.
Zarb cruise missile boosts Coastal Defence
Published in Show Daily 2018 - Day 1
By
Asian Military Review
-
January 11, 2019
The Pakistan Navy has successfully performed another round of live-firing trials for its Zarb land-based anti-ship cruise missile system, which is also referred to as the Zarb Weapon System, during Exercise Sealion III earlier in the year.
One of the first images of the Zarb missile system was released by the Navy, showing an anti-ship cruise missile being launched from an eight-wheeled transport-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicle at the Jinnah Naval Base in Ormara, Balochistan Province.
The Navy said that the missile, which is operated the Naval Missile Regiment belonging to the Naval Strategic Force Command, successfully hit its intended target. It did not disclose the capabilities of its latest weapon, but the missile shown in the images appears to strongly resemble the Chinese C-602, which is the export variant of the domestic YJ-62 in use by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The C-602 is a medium-range anti-ship and land-attack missile, which is actively marketed by China National Precision Manufacturing Import & Export Corporation internationally has a maximum range of 280km. It carries a 300kg high-explosive semi-armour-piercing warhead to ensure that the payload detonates within its target for maximum potential damage.
The TEL vehicle that was seen firing the Zarb anti-ship missile carries three container launch units and is also visually identical to the PLA’s YJ-62 mobile coastal defence system. The vehicle has a front cab, a separate rear command cab, a power-generation system, and an elevating launch platform holding the three missile launch units.
The same missiles can also be found on the PLA Navy’s Type-052C Luyang II destroyers, indicating a potential for future integration aboard the Pakistan Navy’s vessels.
Pakistan is also actively pursuing locally developed anti-ship missiles, and test fired its new ‘Harba’ cruise missile from PNS
Himmat, one of the Navy’s latest Azmat-class fast attack crafts.