A warship built in Türkiye for the Pakistan Navy under the PN MILGEM project has successfully completed live-fire tests, a report said on Monday, demonstrating high levels of technological maturity, system integration and operational reliability.
The PNS Khaibar, the second of four MILGEM-class corvettes tailored for Pakistan, hit both sea, land and aerial targets with pinpoint accuracy during the recent trials, the Anadolu Agency (AA) said.
The 2020 agreement between Ankara and Islamabad envisaged construction of four MILGEM-class corvettes – two at Istanbul Naval Shipyard and two at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) – with Türkiye's ASFAT serving as the main contractor.
Defense software and electronics firm Havelsan provides the ADVENT Combat Management System and the FLEETSTAR Ship Data Distribution System, while also acting as the project’s main systems integrator.
The first ship of the project, PNS Babur, successfully completed its firing tests in April 2024 and joined the Pakistan Navy fleet the following month.
Following its successful tests, PNS Khaibar will now conduct joint activities with the Turkish Navy before sailing to Karachi for final acceptance.
During the live-fire trials, the ship’s 76mm main gun scored a direct hit on a designated land target, while the STOP 25mm remote-controlled stabilized gun system achieved similar precision in surface target engagements.
The results of these tests clearly demonstrated the technological maturity, integration success and operational reliability of the PN MILGEM program, the report said.
Construction of the third vessel, PNS Badr, is in its final stages at the Karachi shipyard, with its first sea trials expected this December, followed by port acceptance tests.
The fourth and final corvette, PNS Tariq, is also under construction at KSEW, with testing activities scheduled to begin by late 2026, marking the completion of one of Türkiye's most significant naval export projects.
