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Pakistan and China on Monday signed contracts for the construction of F-22P frigate ships for Pakistan Navy, officials said.
The signing ceremony was held at Ministry of Defense Production, a Defense Ministry spokesman said..
“Both sides signed four contracts for the construction of state-of- the-art F-22P frigates with all related equipment/systems with special element of transfer of technology (ToT),” the official said.
“These ships, after construction, will be inducted into Pakistan Navy which would not only enhance the operational capabilities of Pakistan Navy, but will also help to make impregnable the seaward defense of Pakistan,” he added.
According to defense sources, the F**-22P frigates will be equipped with helicopters specially designed for anti-submarine warfare, surface to surface and surface to air missiles along with numerous associated self-defense systems.**
China is Pakistan’s neighbor in the northern Himalayan region and one of Islamabad’s staunchest allies. China and Pakistan’s ties date back several decades, and are deep-rooted. Both the countries are regularly involved in a number of joint defense projects, such as the JF-17 (Joint Fighter 17) aircraft.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is scheduled to arrive Tuesday to attend a conference on promoting economic cooperation in Asia and to meet on the sideline with Pakistani leaders.
Wen will hold talks with the President Pervez Musharraf and his Pakistani counterpart, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during the three-day visit, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani told a news conference on Monday.
