World

Pakistan Navy acquire US frigate

Reuters April 20, 2010

WASHINGTON: Pakistan and the United States signed a $ 65 million contract on Tuesday for 'hot transfer' of USS McInerney frigate, enabling Pakistan Navy to take over the vessel on August 31 this year.

The frigate will be commissioned as PNS ALAMGIR at a ceremony on August 31 in the United States and a comprehensive refurbishment of the ship, in line with Pakistan Navy's requirements, will be undertaken under the supervision of US Navy.

Upon completion of refurbishment work in January 2011, PNS ALAMGIR will sail to Pakistan to join Pakistan Navy Fleet.

At Tuesday's ceremony, officials from Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan embassy in Washington represented the Government of Pakistan and senior ranking US Navy officials represented the United States of America.

Pakistani embassy officials described the occasion a major "milestone" towards further strengthening wide-ranging Pakistan-US relationship. "The successful completion of this contarct will also pave the way for acquisition of more vessels of the same class for Pakistan navy to raise a squadron of 8 Perry Class Frigates," Pakistani officials said.

"This will greatly enhance operational readiness of Pakistan Navy," the officials noted.

The US Congress approved selling the frigate to Pakistan, a major non-NATO ally, in September 2008.

COMMENTS (4)

Syed A. Mateen | 14 years ago | Reply There are several war ships which has become old and obsolete to be used in the US. It has been US practice in the past that US sells such arms and ammunitions to third world countries which cannot be used in US any more. Pakistan Navy new frigate is one of them. It is a wise decision of the US government that while the country is in recession, at least US is trying to recover its losses by selling the junk material to third world countries.

Ali Reza | 14 years ago | Reply McInerney was commissioned on 15 DEC 1979; it seemed U.S. got a really good deal out of it. Instead of scrapping McInerney for few hundred thousand dollars, they are getting whopping $65,000,000 cash from Zardari, Inc. In addition, the White House won't lose its sleep even if Taliban and company get a hold of it because the frigate is so old and outdated. What is missing in this whole story is 'innovation' - what we lack in our dear Pakistan.

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Fayyaz Alam | 14 years ago | Reply Why US is going to wars and providing us defense equipment? Problem is millions of jobs in army and defense equipment being main export. That requires a constant threat and an ever present enemy. Peace is the biggest threat to a country that buys everything cheap from others (e.g. China) and has only big things to sell. Without creating a threat, the US public would never have allowed 1300 Billion dollars spent on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Due to media & the Internet, these wars have lost credibility everywhere. First it was Communism, then Terror. I wonder if Ahmedinejad would be kind enough to provide new 'threat' or they will have to put another ex-CIA trained guy to gather public support for yet another war! What a wonderful name: War against Terror. This war could never be won because the enemy (terror) is not a tangible one. It is a 'feeling' and can be aroused with suitable propaganda. Now look at why the US is giving us this outdated frigate? Whether we pay for it or the US tax payers, money will go to the defense industry. Why the US is not giving us something really useful like what Russia gave in the 1970s (steel mill), despite not being our best friend.

Nadir El Edroos | 14 years ago | Reply You have failed to mention that the said ship is over 30 years old, and pretty obsolete!

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