Pakistan Navy's surface warfare capabilities got a boost as it received first of the three missile-carrying Chinese F-22P frigates.
Pakistan will receive the first of four F-22P frigates, equipped with modern weapons and anti- submarine helicopters, from China in August this year while the second warship is slated for delivery in December.
PNS Aslat was built in a shipyard in Karachi with technology transferred by China. China has delivered three more F-22P guided missile frigates to Pakistan under a 2005 contract.
China has sought to defend its sale of submarines and warships to Pakistan, contending that even India was seeking military equipment from the United States and Russia.
China has completed building the first of the four frigates ordered by Pakistan three years ago. The warship, capable of operating in a multi-threat environment, will be launched at the Shanghai shipyard on April 7.It is for the first time that Pakistan's navy is purchasing a major fighting unit from China, in a deviation of earlier trend of procuring such military hardware from the West, including Britain and France.
China's official defence budget last year was $136.3 billion while that of India was $38.2 billion.
However, Denmark said it is difficult to conclude on the real intention behind this.
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