Turkey’s STM Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. has signed an agreement with the state-owned Military Factory and Shipyard Management Corporation (ASFAT) on the supply and integration of the main drive system that is to be used in corvettes that are produced by Turkey for the Pakistan Navy.
The four Ada-class corvettes are being developed within the scope of Turkey’s MILGEM (National Ship) project and will be delivered to Pakistan as part of Ankara's largest-ever single defense export deal.
The main propulsion systems, which constitute the most important platform systems of the ships, power the movement of the vessels.
In May 2017, Turkish and Pakistani defense companies signed a goodwill agreement outlining the construction of four Turkish Ada-class MILGEM corvettes at the Karachi Shipyard. According to the final agreement, two ships will be built in Istanbul and two others in Karachi thanks to a technology transfer.
Two of the corvettes will join the inventory of the Pakistan Navy in 2023 and the remaining two will join in 2024.
In July 2018, the Pakistan Navy signed a contract for the acquisition of four MILGEM-class ships with Turkey's state-owned defense firm ASFAT. MILGEM vessels are 99 meters long, have a displacement capacity of 24,00 tons and can reach a speed of 29 nautical miles.
STM is directly involved in several military maritime projects to meet Pakistan's needs. The company delivered the Pakistan Marine Supply Ship (PNS MOAWIN) in October 2018 as part of a deal it signed in January 2013. STM also continues to operate in the country in the ongoing Agosta 90 B submarine modernization project signed in June 2016.
The firm is taking firm steps toward becoming a global brand in Turkey's military maritime area with projects undertaken in the international arena.
STM also took critical roles in the development of Turkish navy corvettes within the scope of the MILGEM Project. With its engineering experience, the company made significant contributions to the nationalization of the defense industry.
