A high-level delegation from Türkiye’s state-owned defense contractor ASFAT (Askeri Fabrika ve Tersane İşletme A.Ş.), led by General Manager Prof. Dr. Mustafa İlbaş and Deputy General Manager Nilüfen Çotuk, visited Karachi, Pakistan, on November 11, 2026.
The delegation conducted comprehensive operational and technical evaluations at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW) to inspect the final construction phase of the third and fourth Babur-class (PN MİLGEM) multi-role corvettes, PNS BADR (F-281) and PNS TARIQ (F-283). Coinciding with the site inspection, ASFAT and the Pakistan Navy technical team successfully launched the 8th Project Progress Review (PMR) meeting. The delegation also conferred with Rear Admiral Muhammad Shahnawaz Khan, Director General of Ordnance Production for Pakistan, to review ongoing naval projects and negotiate prospective defense industrial cooperation vectors.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: BABUR-CLASS (PN MİLGEM) CORVETTE ARCHITECTURE
Naval Airframe, Propulsion & Survivability Baseline
⚡ Prime Contractor / System Integrator: ASFAT A.Ş. (Türkiye)
⚡ Co-Manufacturing Shipyards: Istanbul Naval Shipyard (Ships 1 & 2) & Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (Ships 3 & 4)
⚡ Class Designation & Hull Profiles: Babur-class Heavy Corvette / Light Frigate (~2,985 tons full load displacement; length 108.2 meters; beam 14.8 meters; draft 4.1 meters)
⚡ Propulsion Architecture: Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) system featuring 2× high-efficiency marine diesel engines paired with 1× gas turbine driving dual controllable pitch propellers (CPP); top speed >26 knots; range >4,000 nautical miles at economic speeds
⚡ Automation & Environmental Defense: Platform Control and Monitoring System (PCMS) minimizing operational crew footprint; specialized materials and HVAC filtering for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) threat environments
Combat Management, Sensor Fusion & Kinetic Armament Matrix
💥 Combat Management System (CMS): HAVELSAN ADVENT CMS—a network-centric battle management suite enabling real-time tactical data sharing across surface, subsurface, and aerial nodes
💥 Main Gun & Point-Defense Systems:
• Primary Ordnance: 1× 76mm Leonardo Super Rapid naval gun
• Close-In Weapon System (CIWS): 1× 35mm ASELSAN GÖKDENİZ dual-barrel CIWS for anti-ship missile defense
• Secondary Armament: 2× 25mm ASELSAN STOP remote-controlled weapon stations (RCWS)
💥 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Suite: Vertical Launch System (VLS) housing Albatros NG / CAMM-ER surface-to-air missiles for layered medium-range air defense
💥 Surface-to-Surface Missile (SSM) Suite: 6-cell launcher for P282 / Harbah long-range anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles
💥 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW): Hull-mounted sonar array, 2× triple 324mm torpedo tubes for lightweight ASW torpedoes, anti-submarine rocket launchers, and an integrated aft flight deck/hangar accommodating an 10-ton ASW helicopter (e.g., Z-9EC / Sea King)
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The ASFAT executive review in Karachi underscores major operational and industrial dynamics across the Indian Ocean naval theater:
1. Successful Execution of Türkiye’s Largest Single-Item Defense Export: The PN MİLGEM contract—signed in 2018 for four customized Babur-class corvettes—represents a benchmark in Turkish defense exporting. Completing the construction of PNS BADR and PNS TARIQ at Karachi Shipyard highlights ASFAT’s ability to execute complex warship projects on schedule while co-transferring shipbuilding technology to partner nations.
2. Transforming the Pakistan Navy’s Anti-Air and Anti-Surface Power Projection: Integrating HAVELSAN’s ADVENT combat management system, CAMM-ER VLS surface-to-air missiles, and heavy cruise missiles transforms the Babur-class from traditional littoral corvettes into blue-water multi-role frigates. This enhances the Pakistan Navy’s capability to secure sea lines of communication (SLOCs) and project counter-capability against surface and aerial threats in the Arabian Sea.
3. Establishing a Sovereign Local Defense Shipbuilding Hub in Karachi: Constructing two PN MİLGEM corvettes locally at KS&EW enhances Pakistan’s domestic naval manufacturing infrastructure. Joint participation in the 8th Project Progress Review (PMR) and high-level talks with Rear Admiral Muhammad Shahnawaz Khan secure a ongoing operational foundation for maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO), and future joint warship development between Ankara and Islamabad.
