President Alvi advocates strong naval defence

Navy commissions new fleet tanker PNS Maun

President Arif Alvi on Tuesday called for a strong seaward defence while speaking as a guest of honour at the commissioning ceremony of Pakistan Navy ship in Karachi.

Alvi pointed out that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC) will increase activity along the coast and this will call for an enhanced deployment of naval assets and affirmed the government’s commitment to developing the maritime sector.

The new ship has been named PNS Maun and can carry two helicopters on board.

Naval Chief Zafar Mahmood Abbasi said the new tanker is a symbol of pride and reflects the country's industrial strength.



Last month, PNS Saif participated in joint exercises with the Turkish navy.

The exercises, including Mavi Balina 2018, and bilateral exercise Turgutreis-II, were aimed at enhancing interoperability between participating navies through the development of combined tactics, techniques and practices.

Saif is fitted with state of the art weapons and sensors for undertaking all types of maritime operations in a multi-threat environment, the Navy said.