Tariq-class destroyer

The Tariq-class destroyer are the class of guided missile destroyer warships that were acquired through transfer from the Royal Navy in 1993–94. The Tariqs were formerly commissioned in the Royal Navy's Surface Fleet as the Amazon class/Type 21 as they were only classified as a general purpose frigate in the Royal Navy.[4]

PNS Babur, a Tariq-class destroyer, in 2004
Class overview
Name: Tariq class
Builders:
Operators:  Pakistan Navy
Preceded by: Type 12 Leander
Succeeded by: Zulfiquar class
Cost: $120 million USD (2002):97–98[1]
Built: 1969–1975
In commission: 1993–present
Completed: 6
Active: 2
Retired: 4
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer/Guided missile[2][3]
Displacement:
  • As built in the United Kingdom:
    • 3,250 long tons (3,302 t) full load
  • As modernized in Pakistan:
    • 3,700 long tons (3,759 t) full load
Length: 384 ft (117 m) o/a
Beam: 41 ft 7 in (12.67 m)
Draft: 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)
Propulsion:
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range:
  • 4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 17 kn (31 km/h)
  • 1,200 nmi (2,200 km) at 30 kn (56 km/h)
Complement: 15 Officers, 200 Enlists
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 TKWA/MASS (Multi Ammunition Softkill System)
Armament:
Aircraft carried:
Aviation facilities: Flight deck and hangar

The British frigates were immediately acquired when the United States refused to renew the lease of the four Garcia and four Brooke-class frigates, due to the enforcement of the Pressler Amendment.:147–148[5] Therefore, Pakistan had to return the vessels to the United States at the end of their five-year lease.:476[6]

Upon acquisition, all six frigates were reconfigured to enhance their engineering design and construction and military software updates that feature the Swedish technology, giving them missile launching capability.[7]

In 2008, the Pakistan Navy had carried out a successful test of the Camcopter S-100, an unmanned aerial vehicle, from the flight deck of a Tariq-class destroyer.[8] The Tariq-class destroyers are currently in process of phasing out from their services, and will eventually be decommissioned by 2020.[9]

Ships
ImageNameFormer nameCommissioned with RNFate
BaburAmazonCommissioned in the Royal Navy in 1974Transferred in 1993 to Pakistan Navy. Decommissioned in December 2014.[10]
TariqAmbuscadeCommissioned into Royal Navy in 1975.Transferred to Pakistan Navy in 1993, currently in active duty service as the lead ship of her class.
Tippu SultanAvengerCommissioned into Royal Navy in 1975Transferred to Pakistan Navy in 1994. Decommissioned in 2020.[11]
KhaibarArrowCommissioned into Royal Navy in 1976Transferred to Pakistan Navy in 1994, currently in active duty service.
BadrAlacrityCommissioned into Royal Navy in 1977Transferred to Pakistan Navy in 1994. Decommissioned in 2014.[12]
Shah JahanActiveCommissioned into Royal Navy in 1977Transferred to Pakistan Navy in 1994. Decommissioned in January 2021. [13]

Negotiation and procurement
Main article: Pakistan - United Kingdom relations
The Brooke and Garcia-class guided missile destroyers being commissioned into Pakistan Navy in 1986.:147–148[5] All were returned to United States in 1993–95.:476[6]

Procurement and negotiation of acquiring the Type 21 frigates dates back to 1966 when the United Kingdom first offered to Pakistan to jointly built three Type 21 frigates but the Ayub administration rejected the proposal who wanted to allocate the funds to acquire Daphné-class submarines from France.:63[5] Since 1966, Pakistan Navy had long eyed of acquiring the Type-21 frigates from the United Kingdom, submitting several proposals to the Government of Pakistan to materialize the plans of acquiring the Type-21 frigates in 1970s.:65[5]

In 1987–88, Admiral T. K. Khan entered in negotiating with the Royal Navy and began lobbying to the Zia administration for releasing the funds to acquire the Type 21 frigates in 1988.:62–63[14]

Despite the initial efforts with the Royal Navy, the Pakistan Navy went towards leasing the four Garcia and four Brooke-class warships from the United States Navy in 1988, selected based on the technological evaluation and Pakistani military specifications.:147–148[5]:97[1] The lease was set for five years with an option of renewing or purchasing the lease afterwards based on the mutual understanding between two nations.:148[5]

After the enforcement of the military embargo by the United States Congress in 1994, the lease was not renewed, therefore, the eight warships had to be returned to the United States Navy in Singapore, resulting Pakistan's sea borders vulnerable to foreign activities.:148[5]:476[6]

During this time, Admiral S.M. Khan used his personal relations with the British Admiral of the Fleet Sir Julian Oswald, who helped him with negotiation with the British government to immediately procured and acquired the entire frigates of the Amazon class/Type 21 from the British Royal Navy in 1993–94.:476[6]

The Pakistan MoD authorized the purchase of the entire fleet of Type 21 frigates from the United Kingdom at a cheapest price tag of US$60 million, and reportedly spent nearly the same amount on classifying and modernizing the warships from their role as the general purpose frigates to destroyer standards.:97–98[1]

On 1 November 1993, the lead ship, Tariq (formerly HMS Ambuscade), reported to its base in Karachi and the transfer all warships completed on 1 January 1995.[7] The induction of the Tariq-class destroyers marked the replacement of the Garcia and Brooke-class frigates in the Pakistan Navy's surface command.[7]

Modernization

In 2002, it was reported that Pakistan had spent additional US$60 million to modernize the Tariq-class fleet according their Navy's specification from the general purpose frigates to the combat variant destroyer standards.:97–98[1] In the service of the Royal Navy, the Seacat, Exocet, torpedo tubes, and Lynx helicopters were distinct features in the Amazon/Type 21 frigates.[10] With the Pakistan Navy's service, Exocet and the Seacat missiles were removed as well as torpedo tubes which were subsequently removed in all warships with the exception made in Badr and Shah Jahan.[7]

The weapon systems and computers fitted in the Tariqs features Swedish technology.[7] The flight deck and the Lynx helicopters remained with the Tariqs and arrived in Karachi with their respective warships.[7]

The Royal Navy did not transfer the Exocet and Seacat missiles that were replaced with the Chinese-made LY-60 SAM system.[7] Instead, the more capable U.S.-built Harpoon missiles were installed to replace the British weapon systems.[7] Extensive installation of computer software and missile deployments allowed the classification of Tariq from the DDE (destroyer escort) to the DDG (guided missile), with lead ship featuring the installation of LY-60 guided missiles.[7]

In 2008, it was reported by the ISPR that the Pakistan Navy have successfully tested a flight takeoff and landing of the Camcopter S-100 UAV from a Tariq-class flight deck.[15]

References
  1. Cheema, Pervaiz Iqbal (2002). "Evolution of the Navy". The Armed Forces of Pakistan (google books) (1st ed.). NYU Press. p. 200. ISBN 9780814716335.
  2. "Amazon class Type 21 Frigate - Royal Navy". www.seaforces.org.
  3. "PNS Tariq (F181) Guided-Missile Destroyer Warship - Pakistan". Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  5. Goldrick, RAN, R. Adm James (1997). "Pakistan Navy: 1947–71". No Easy Answers: The Development of the Navies of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, 1945-1996 (PDF) (1st ed.). Surrey, Eng.: Lancer Publishers. p. 269. ISBN 9781897829028. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  6. Shah, Mian Zahir (2001). Bubbles of Water: Or, Anecdotes of the Pakistan Navy. Karachi, Pakistan: PN Book Club Publication. p. 487. ISBN 9789698318031.
  7. Shabbir, Usman (1 June 2003). "Tariq (Amazon) Class (TYPE 21) (DD/FF) «  PakDef Military Consortium". pakdef.org. Karachi, Sindh Pak.: Pakistan Military Consortium. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  8. Camcopter S-100 – Continued Success in Shipboard Trials (PDF), Schiebel Elektronische Geraete GmbH, 14 April 2008
  9. Anis, Ema; Ghauri, Irfan (21 April 2014). "Journalists' visit: Navy to shift focus to Ormara base". The Express Tribune. Ormara, Balochistan, Pk.: The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune. Retrieved 14 December 2018. (The Navy is in the gradual process of phasing out its old fleet of Type-21 warships-6, which were first inducted in the 1990s. Purchased from the British Royal Navy, one of these ships, PNS Badr, has already been decommissioned while the rest will be gradually phased out by 2020, informed by Commodore Faisal Abbasi.)
  10. "Sailing under a different flag – former Royal Navy vessels serving with other navies". Save the Royal Navy. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  11. Editorial, Defense Brief (28 April 2020). "Pakistan sinks former Royal Navy frigate in missile firing drill". Defense Brief. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  12. Ansari, Usman (19 May 2014). "Reports: Increase in Pakistan Defense and Nuclear Budgets Likely". Defense News. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  13. "Pakistan sinks another former Royal Navy frigate in live-fire drill". defbrief.com. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  14. Anwar, Muhammad (2006). Stolen Stripes and Broken Medals: Autobiography of a Senior Naval Officer (1st ed.). London, UK: AuthorHouse. p. 275. ISBN 9781425900205.
  15. Camcopter S-100 – Continued Success in Shipboard Trials (PDF), Schiebel Elektronische Geraete GmbH, 14 April 2008
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