Turkiye formally handed over the second MILGEM-class corvette, PNS Khaibar, to the Pakistan Navy during a ceremony in Istanbul on December 20, 2025. The delivery marks the second major milestone in the Pakistan-Turkiye naval cooperation under the MILGEM programme, aimed at modernizing Pakistan’s surface fleet and building a long-term defense industrial partnership.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presided over the ceremony at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command. Pakistani Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf was among senior officials representing Islamabad. Erdogan highlighted the historic bond between the two countries and underlined the strategic value of the defense partnership.
Background
The MILGEM programme for Pakistan began with a 2018 contract between Pakistan and Turkiye for four customized corvettes. The deal placed Türkiye’s ASFAT, the state-owned military shipbuilder, as the prime contractor responsible for designs and early production under the agreement.
The MILGEM project itself is rooted in Turkiye’s indigenous corvette design efforts, originally developed as the Ada-class for the Turkish Navy. Pakistan’s version, commonly designated the Babur-class, scales up the baseline Ada design into a roughly 3,000-ton class vessel with enhanced weapons, sensors and multi-mission capability.
The first delivery under the contract, PNS Babur, was commissioned into the Pakistan Navy in 2024. PNS Khaibar follows as the second of four planned hulls, with PNS Bedir and PNS Tariq expected to enter service in 2026 and 2027 respectively.
Platform Details and Capabilities
PNS Khaibar is built around a multi-role combatant concept that combines anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities. The corvette’s hull measures about 108 meters, powered by a combined diesel and gas turbine (CODAG) propulsion system enabling speeds above 26 knots and an endurance of approximately 15 days.
Armaments include a 76mm main gun forward, a 12-cell vertical launch system for medium-range air defense missiles and twin triple launchers for Pakistan’s indigenous Harbah cruise missile system. The ship also carries lightweight torpedoes and supports a medium naval helicopter for extended sensor reach and anti-submarine operations.
Sensors and electronic systems are supplied by Turkish defense firms such as Aselsan. These include a 3D air search radar, low-probability-intercept navigation radar, torpedo countermeasure suite, a 35mm close-in weapon system and 25mm remote weapon stations. All systems integrate into a modern combat management architecture designed for network-centric operations.
Strategic Impact
For Islamabad, the induction of PNS Khaibar and its sister ships represents a shift toward a more capable, balanced surface fleet able to address multiple mission sets in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. The MILGEM corvettes enhance Pakistan’s ability to conduct layered area-air defense, sea denial operations and coordinated anti-surface warfare with longer reach than legacy platforms.
The technology transfer provisions of the MILGEM deal also aim to build local capacity. Under the agreement, the third and fourth ships are under construction at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works with Turkish support, moving Islamabad closer to independent design and construction of future surface combatants.
Geopolitical and Defense Ties
The handover reflects broader political and military cooperation between Turkiye and Pakistan. At the ceremony, President Erdogan framed the event as evidence of a “brotherly” relationship, rooted in shared history and strategic interests, particularly in the wider Indian Ocean and Middle East region.
From Ankara’s perspective, the MILGEM export contract underscores its growing defense industrial base and ability to deliver advanced naval platforms on the global market. The project ties Ankara and Islamabad in long-term industrial cooperation beyond a simple sales deal, including design rights and future support logistics.
What to Watch
With PNS Khaibar joining the Pakistan Navy’s order of battle, attention now turns to the construction and delivery schedules of PNS Bedir and PNS Tariq. How Islamabad integrates these platforms with other naval assets, including Chinese Type 054A/P frigates and indigenous aviation or submarine forces, will shape its surface warfare and deterrence posture.
Observers will also watch how the technology transfer and local construction roles evolve in Karachi and whether Pakistan uses the design rights from the MILGEM project to launch its own next-generation surface combatant class.
Conclusion
The delivery of the second MILGEM-class corvette PNS Khaibar to the Pakistan Navy underscores a maturing defense partnership between Islamabad and Ankara while bolstering Pakistan’s maritime capabilities. As two more hulls proceed toward completion, the programme is set to reshape the surface fleet composition in the region and deepen industrial ties across both defense sectors.
