ISLAMABAD
Boat built as part of technology transfer deal with Polish shipbuilder Techno Marine
The project is managed by Bahria Foundation, Pakistani conglomerate run by Pakistan Navy
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Bahria Boat Building Yard (BBY) has launched its first locally-made 12T multipurpose marine assault boat as part of a technology transfer deal with Polish shipbuilder Techno Marine, two officials with direct known of the project said this week.
The project has been managed by Bahria Foundation, a Pakistani conglomerate company established in 1982, based in Karachi and run by the Pakistan Navy.
The bulletproof boat is equipped with two 543 horsepower engines with water jet propulsion, and can hit a speed of up to 40 nautical miles. The boat is also equipped with a navigational suite from the British company Raymarine and can carry 14 persons.
“We handed over the first assault boat to the Pakistan Navy on December 16, so it is commissioned now,” a senior official at BBY told Arab News, declining to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media on the record.The official said BBY would be handing over a second boat to the Navy on December 31, followed by two more boats to complete the order.
The assault boat can travel up to 600 nautical miles without refueling while a 12.7 gun can also be installed on it during patrolling.
“This is a patrolling cum surveillance boat that helps scan the area of interest easily,” he said, adding that the boat would “definitely help strengthen the Pakistan navy fleet.”
The 13-meter-long and 3.65-meter-wide boat has the capacity to move swiftly in shallow and coastal waters, especially in creeks, to ensure effective surveillance.
“This boat can also be used for firefighting in case of any emergency in the sea as it is fitted with a fire cannon as well,” the official said, adding that it could also be used as a sea ambulance to evacuate people from a ship or the open sea.
The boat, he said, was lightweight and could be transported anywhere via a truck: “Its fast and quick response in any situation makes it unique in many ways and is defi the navy.”
A second senior official at BBY confirmed all the details related to the project but declined to be named as he was also not authorized to speak to the media on the record on the subject.
The secretary to the Bahria Foundation managing director, Vice Admiral (retd) Hasham Siddique, said the MD was on leave and no one else at the organization was allowed to comment on the issue on the record.- Arab Nwws
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