Beijing: China has launched first of the four advanced naval warships it is building for Pakistan, amid deepening defence ties between the two all-weather allies.
The launching ceremony for the first warship was held at the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on Sunday.
Pakistan-China defence ties took a new turn with the launch of the first ship of Type-054 class frigate, Pakistan's state-run APP news agency reported.
The Type-054 class, equipped with the latest surface, subsurface, anti-air weapons, combat management system, and sensors will be one of the technologically advanced surface platforms of the Pakistan Navy fleet, the report said.
Pakistan signed a contract with the China Shipbuilding Trading Company Ltd. (CSTC) for the delivery of two Type-054 A/P frigates in 2017. Last year, the Chinese official media reported that under a major arms deal between the two all-weather allies, China would build four advanced frigates for the Pakistan Navy.
The terms of the deal and the price of the ships were not revealed.
The launching of the ship coincided with the 2nd strategic dialogue between Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi held at the Chinese holiday resort of Hainan on August 21.
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Pakistan-China friendship opened a chapter where they have taken a step forward in becoming a military nightmare for India. Beijing continues to sell some of its most powerful weapons as new refreshments for Pakistan to stand against India.
Nuclear Weapons:
China is accused of providing nuclear assistance to Pakistan amid growing regional conflict with India. Undoubtedly, the most dangerous assistance received from China.
JF-17 Fighter:
The JF-17 thunder is a premier multirole fighter with an active radar air-to-air missiles including air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions. It is a budget aircraft with modern capabilities.
A-100 Rocket Launcher:
The deadliest artillery systems with multiple rocket launcher with a maximum range of 120km and a minimum firing range of 40km. A100 MRL takes eight minutes to prepare a launcher vehicle and is capable of wiping out entire static unit. It targets areas including radar stations, command centres, airfields etc.
Al-Khalid Tank:
The VT-1A also named as Al-Khalid Tank by Pakistan was jointly build by China and Pakistan is capable of combating the T-72Ms that comprise most of the Indian tank forces. It has automatically refilling system and uses a night control system.
HQ-16 missile:
HQ-16 is a surface to air missile, a reverse-engineered model of the Russian Buk-M2. It targets the cruise missiles, short and medium-range ballistic missiles, and low-flying aircraft. Pakistan has long depended on Pakistan Air Force but has now turned its head towards the HQ-16.
