Pakistan Navy`s Maritime Exercise SeaSpark-2022 & Collaboration with Turkish Defense Industry
Pakistan Navy (PN) Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) shared a short video on March 13, 2022, highlighting impressive moments from the Harpoon Anti-ship Guided Missile (AShM) and Heavyweight Torpedo (HWT) launches performed on March 12. The video shows the loading of an AGM-84L-1 Harpoon Block-II Anti-Ship Guided Missile onto a P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft, its firing and hitting a floating sea target, a RGM-84 Harpoon Anti-Ship Guided Missile launch from the Type 21/TARIQ Class PNS Tariq Destroyer and hitting a floating sea target, and a DM2A4 Heavyweight Torpedo launch from an AGOSTA-90B (KHALID Class) Class submarine against a decommissioned Type 21 Class (TARIQ Class) destroyer which sunk after its keel was broken and split into two by the 'blast' effect of the torpedo warhead. Instead of hitting the target ship’s hull, the DM2A4 Heavyweight Torpedo detonates at a certain depth a few meters below the ship and breaks the ship's keel into two with the pressure (called the "bubble effect") created by the warhead's explosion.
The Pakistan Navy received the necessary training for DM2A4 Heavyweight Torpedoes at the Submarine Training Center Command at the Gölcük Naval Base in Turkey. Due to the sinking of a decommissioned Type 21 Class destroyer (TARIQ Class), the exercise was recorded as the 3rd publicly known SINKEX of the Pakistan Navy.
In 2014, Pakistan Navy started to decommission 6 Type 21 Class Destroyers in its inventory. Two destroyers of this class, PNS Tariq and PNS Khaibar, are still on active duty, and as I mentioned above, PNS Tariq Destroyer fired a Harpoon Guided Missile during the exercise.
In previous Sinking Exercises (SINKEX), the Type 21/TARIQ Class destroyer Tippu Sultan was sunk in April 2020 and another Type 21/TARIQ Class destroyer Shah Jahan was sunk in January 2021.
During the SeaSpark-2022 Exercise, the PNS/M Hamza Submarine (S-139), which was upgraded (MLU) by the Main Contractor STM at the PN Dockyard (Pakistan Navy Shipyard) in Karachi, Pakistan, and delivered to the PN on April 29, 2021, fired a DM2A4 Heavyweight Torpedo against a decommissioned Type 21 (TARIQ Class) destroyer.
Modernization activities on the PNS/M Khalid (S-137), the 2nd submarine of the AGOSTA-90B Submarines Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) Project, continue as of March 2022. Deputy Chief of Naval Staff – Projects (DCNS [Projects]) Pakistan Navy Vice Admiral (VADM) Imran AHMED, with whom we had the opportunity to meet in January, stated that the work on the 2nd submarine was about to be completed. We learned that PNS/M Khalid (S-137) is planned to be delivered at the end of 2022, and Sea Acceptance Tests (SAT) started in February 2022. Furthermore, the MLU activities on the 3rd submarine of the project, PNS/M Saad (S-138), continue in accordance with the project schedule.
With the modernization, AGOSTA-90B/KHALID Class Submarines are equipped with a new generation Integrated Underwater Command Control System running on 6 Multifunction Common Consoles/MFCC (HAVELSAN SEDA Combat Management System and Submarine Information Distribution System), Sonar Suite with wet and dry ends including the Sonar Self-Noise Detection System (HAVELSAN ATLAS), Weapon Control System (HAVELSAN and a state-owned company in Pakistan), Electronic Warfare System (ASELSAN ARES-2SC/P), Navigation Radar (ASELSAN ALPER-PS Low-Probability of Intercept/LPI Radar), Electronic Chart Display and Information System/ECDIS (STMDENGIZ ECDIS), Periscope Systems (Hensoldt Optronics SERO 250 Navigation Periscope and OMS 200 Optronic Mast), Torpedo Counter Measure System/TCMS (ASELSAN ZARGANA), Rescue Buoy (modified by STM), 60Hz and 400Hz Static Frequency Converters, Auxiliary Cooling Water System for Multifunction Common Consoles/MFCC liquid cooling, and Steering Console (RAYTHEON Steering Station S56-PK).
