A total of 31 naval vessels, including 2 Agosta 90B Class Submarines (PNS Khalid and PNS Hamza, taking part in IFR session for the first time) and a sailing ship (PNS Rah Naward), along with 16 air units from 12 countries in various displacement and types took part in the IFR Phase of AMAN-25. 11 participating foreign countries joined the IFR session with a total of total of 13 ships including; Bangladesh Navy’s BNSS Omudra Joy, PLA Navy’s Type 052D Class Guided Missile Destroyer PLANS Baotou and a Type 903A replenishment ship PLANS Gaoyouhu, Indonesian Navy’s KRI Bung Tomo, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF)’s Muraseme Class Destroyer JS Murasame, KSA Navy’s Avante 2200 Class Corvettes HMS Jazan and HMS Hail, Malaysian Navy’s Kedah Class OPV KD Terengganu, Royal Navy of Oman’s Al-Ofouq Class Patrol Vessel RNOV Sadh, Sri Lanka Navy’s HAMILTON Class Cutter SLNS Vijayabahu, US Navy’s Expeditionary Mobile Base Vessel USS Lewis B. Puller, Iranian Navy’s Moudge Class Frigate IRIS Jamaran and UAE Navy’s Abu Dhabi Class (based on Comandanti Class) Corvette (P-191). Pakistan Navy took part in the IFR with 15 ships including the TUGHRIL Class Type 054 A/P Frigates PNS Tippu Sultan and PNS Taimur, Fleet Replenishment & Combat Support Ship PNS Moawin, YARMOOK Batch II Class OPVs PNS Hunain and PNS Yamama and BABUR Class Corvette (PN-MILGEM) PNS Babur.

The IFR also featured an impressive Fly Pas by participating a total of 16 aircraft and helicopters including: 3 x P-3C Orion Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (LRMPAs, known as ‘Flying Destroyers’), 2 x ATR72/500 LRMPAs, 1 Turkish Navy’s C-72 Maritime Utility Aircraft, 3 x WS-61 Sea King Mk 45 Helicopters, 3 x Z-9EC ASW/ASuW Helicopters (known as Stingray and designed to hunt enemy submarines), and a formation of JF-17A/B Thunder Marinized Fighter Aircraft (2x Block 1 and 2x Block 2 configuration) from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

During the IFR PNS Moawin (AOE-39), the Pakistan Navy’s largest Fleet Replenishment & Combat Support Ship constructed at KSEW (Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works) Shipyard, took center stage as it hosted dignitaries, including Governor Sindh, Chief Minister Sindh, Federal Minister of Maritime Affairs, Chief of the Army Staff, General Asim MUNIR and Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Naveed ASHRAF as well as foreign Naval Chiefs, Senior Military Officers,  Ambassadors, Defense and Naval Attachés and number of other guests. The IFR phase of the Exercise AMAN-25 was followed by a troupe of 5 journalists from international media outlets and defense and aerospace sector magazines including Defence Turkey, courtesy of the Naval Directorate of Public Relations.

Upon arrival on board Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Moawin (AOE-39) Fleet Replenishment & Combat Support Ship by a Harbin Z-9E Naval Helicopter, Chief Guest was welcomed by CNS Admiral ASHRAF and Senior Naval officers.  During IFR, the Chief Guest and other high-ranking officials on board PNS Moawin witnessed various operational activities including, Replenishment at Sea (RAS), a Joint Counter Piracy Demonstration, Anti-Submarine Rocket Depth Charge (RDC) Firing, Simultaneous fan-out Maneuver by YARMOOK Batch II Class OPVs PNS Hunain and PNS Yamama, Surface Practice Firing on Killer Tomato, Fly Past by Air Units (PN, PAF and foreign participating Aircraft) and Man and Cheer Ship in Honor of the Chief Guest.  

At the beginning of the drill PNS Moawin refueled a pair of TUGHRIL Class Type 054 A/P Frigates PNS Tippu Sultan and PNS Taimur while underway. Within the scope of replenishment at sea (RAS) demo, PNS Tippu Sultan (263, on the right side) and PNS Taimur (262, on the left side) took a position on either side of the PNS Moawin. The two receiving ships had hoses sent their way from PNS Moawin through which fuel was supposed to be transferred to them. Underway refueling and replenishment at sea is considered to be one of the most dangerous activities carried out at sea and extreme care was taken by PN personnel during the drill. It was also pointed out that PNS Moawin, built with the cooperation of Türkiye, is the Pakistan Navy’s largest indigenously built ship that was commissioned in October 2018.

Under the contracts signed in 2017 and on June 1, 2018. Pakistan has procured a total of four Type 054 A/P Frigates (classified as TUGHRIL Class) from China and the lead ship named PNS Tughril (F-261) was commissioned into PN service at a ceremony held at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, China on November 8, 2021. Equipped with state-of-the-art combat management and an electronic warfare system along with modern self-defense capabilities, the Type 054 A/P Frigates are the largest and most advanced warships China has ever exported. 

The RAS demonstration was followed by the Joint Counter Piracy Demo (with the participation of PNS Tippu Sultan, PN Sea King Helicopter and boats) by Special Operation Forces (SOF) of Pakistan and friendly countries and Simultaneous Rocket Depth Charge (RDC) Firing from both PNS Tippu Sultan and PNS Taimur Frigates at simulated submarine targets. The RDC is a short-range weapon used against all types of submarines. The main purpose of RDC firing is to herald the enemy submarine and gain valuable time to launch a more lethal and accurate attack with shipborne torpedoes. Both frigates then maneuvered themselves to align behind each other to look like they were just one ship from behind. Main gun firing on a floating surface target called Killer Tomato (equipped with radar reflectors) was carried out by PNS Tippu Sultan and PNS Taimur, Type 052D Class Guided Missile Destroyer PLANS Baotou and Malaysian Navy’s Kedah Class OPV KD Terengganu.

While the ships that would take place in Surface Practice Firing on Killer Tomato at given pre-deployed floating surface targets were taking their positions ahead of PNS Moawin for the firing run, YARMOOK Batch II Class OPVs PNS Hunain and PNS Yamama approached the beam of PNS Moawin at high speed simultaneously and then performed a fan-out maneuver to the starboard and portside respectively at high speed. Then a Fly Past was presented by the PN, PAF and a C-72 (ATR-72/600) aircraft from Turkish Navy, which was followed by Men and Cheership by the participating ships in honor of the Chief Guest. Thereafter, the participating ships formed up in traditional “AMAN Formation” to signify unity and harmony to ensure PEACE in maritime domain. 

The Chief Guest congratulated Pakistan Navy for successfully hosting AMAN 2025 and reaffirming Pakistan's resolve for promoting peace. He also thanked the participating regional and extra-regional navies for displaying their commitment to collaborative maritime security. The 9th and the largest ever edition of the AMAN series of Multinational Maritime Exercise AMAN-25 was officially commenced in Karachi, Pakistan on February 7, 2025 Friday with an opening ceremony attended by the representatives of the 60 participating nations, including Türkiye. The AMAN-25 served to improve the ability of participating countries to jointly respond to maritime security threats and demonstrated the determination of all participants to jointly safeguard maritime security. 

Defence Turkey magazine’s Senior Editor İbrahim SÜNNETCİ is in Karachi, Pakistan to follow Exercise AMAN-25 and AMAN Dialogue 2025 as a guest of the Pakistan Navy.