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Pakistan Navy renewal gathers pace as new OPV launched

20th September 2023 - 11:30 GMT | by Tim Fish in Auckland

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With new up-gunned OPVs, new submarines, frigates and corvettes in production the Pakistan Navy will be a completely new force by the end of the decade. (Damen)

The launch of the first of a new pair of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) for the Pakistan Navy (PN) on 12 September indicates an acceleration in the modernisation of the service as it introduces new ships into service.

The OPV, named PNS Hunain, was launched at Damen Shipyards Galati shipyard in Romania. However, Damen was not able to provide further information about the OPVs and it is not clear when the ship will be officially commissioned.

The second new OPV began construction in October 2022 and is still in the build process. As Hunain was laid down in July 2022, approximately three months before the second ship, and assuming the build schedule is the same, then the second OPV could be launched as early as December 2023.

Hunain is based on Damen’s 98m-long OPV 2600 design although

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