Pakistan Navy commissions offshore patrol vessel in Romania

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy has commissioned its Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), PNS HUNAIN, at Constanta Port, Romania. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Chief of the Defence Staff of Romania, General Gheorghita Vlad, and Chief of the Romanian Navy, Vice Admiral Mihai Panait, also attended as guests of honour.

Addressing the ceremony, Admiral Naveed Ashraf emphasised the significance of the project and highlighted the additional capabilities added to the Pakistan Navy’s sphere of operations with the induction of PNS HUNAIN.

He expressed confidence that the induction of these multipurpose and highly adaptive platforms, equipped with a state-of-the-art weapons and sensor suite, will further enhance the Navy’s forward presence and operational readiness, particularly for Regional Maritime Security Patrols (RMSP) in the Indian Ocean Region.Admiral Naveed Ashraf commended the exceptional professionalism and dedication of DAMEN Shipyard and expressed confidence in the prospects of future cooperation in delivering cutting-edge technologies to the Pakistan Navy.

The newly commissioned PNS HUNAIN is a multipurpose and highly agile platform of medium tonnage. The ship is equipped with advanced electronic warfare, anti-ship, and anti-air warfare capabilities, along with modern self-protection and terminal defence systems.

It is also capable of embarking a multirole helicopter and has the ability to operate independently or as part of a task force, undertaking a variety of missions while safeguarding Pakistan’s maritime interests.The commissioning ceremony was attended by high-level dignitaries from Pakistan, Romania, and the Netherlands, as well as members of the Pakistani community in Romania.