Pakistan Receives First Yarmook-Class Batch-II OPV (PNS Hunain)

On 26 July, the Pakistan Navy (PN) introduced that it took supply of its third Yarmook-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), PNS Hunain, from Damen Group’s shipyard in Galati, Romania. As of 09 August, PNS Hunain was en-route to Pakistan from Romania. The fourth OPV is present process sea trials. 

PNS Hunain is the primary of two Yarmook-Class Batch-II ships. This pair is predicated on Damen’s OPV-2600 design, which is bigger and extra succesful than the OPV-1900-based tranche already in service with the PN, i.e., PNS Yarmook and PNS Tabuk. 

Building of the Batch-II OPVs started in October 2022, with PNS Hunain starting sea trials in September 2023, whereas the fourth ship was launched in February 2024.

Apart from the better measurement and displacement, the OPV-2600 can carry surface-to-air missiles (SAM) from a vertical launch system (VLS), giving the PN’s Batch-II OPVs credible short-to-medium-range air defence capabilities corresponding to the fleet’s bigger corvettes and frigates. 

As well as, the PN is anticipated to configure the PNS Hunain and its forthcoming sister ship with anti-ship cruising missiles (ASCM), a foremost air and floor surveillance radar, digital assist measures (ESM) suite, and multirole helicopter. In impact, the Batch-II OPVs can be totally succesful combatants.

At present, nonetheless, it’s unclear when the PN plans to completely configure PNS Hunain – or, for that matter, its earlier OPVs – as meant. So far, not one of the OPVs have been armed with ASCMs, for instance. For now evidently the first function of the OPVs is to assist sea policing and/or low-intensity operations, akin to counter-insurgency, counter–terrorism, anti-piracy, and anti-smuggling missions. PNS Hunain is coming to Pakistan with out its VLS and SAM load, not less than in the meanwhile. 

It is usually value noting that the Damen OPV-1900/2600 designs can even carry containerized modules for various missions, together with anti-submarine warfare (ASW), mine countermeasures vessel (MCMV), and humanitarian and catastrophe aid (HADR) operations, like search-and-rescue (SAR).