ANKARA, 21 October 2013: Pakistan’s first indigenously built F-22 frigate “PNS ASLAT” will be visiting Gölcük Naval Base in Turkey from 22 to 25 October 2013 and will participate in various harbour and sea exercises with the Turkish Navy.

PNS ASLAT was commissioned in Pakistan Navy on 17 April 2013 and is the fourth ship of SWORD Class Frigates added in Pakistan Navy inventory. This warship is 123 meters long, displaces 3144 tons and can attain and sustain speeds of over 29 knots. This ship forms mainstay of Pakistan Navy surface combatants. The ship is capable of operating independently or as part of a task force in multi threat environments. PNS ASLAT is equipped with state of the art weapons and sensors for anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air operations with comprehensive self defence capabilities. The vessel is a multi-mission frigate and embarks a Z9EC-20 helicopter which enables it to conduct dedicated anti-submarine operations thus enhancing the ship’s operational range.

This friendly sojourn by PNS ASLAT to Gölcük Naval Base, which is the main base of the Turkish Navy on the east coast of the Sea of Marmara in Gölcük – Kocaeli, will further strengthen existing bilateral ties. Reciprocatory visits of high level defence delegations, exchange training programmes and visits of naval units is a regular feature of Turkey-Pakistan defence relations. Turkish frigate F-496 TCG Gökova participated in AMAN-2013 naval exercise organized by Pakistan Navy from 4-8 March 2013.

Commanded by Captain Ahmad Farooq, PNS ASLAT in its current deployment in the Mediterranean and Black Sea has already visited Port Sudan (North Sudan), Tripoli (Libya), Novorossiysk (Russia) and her next destination will be Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.