Pakistan Navy’s (PN) fourth Azmat-class fast attack craft equipped with missiles was launched by Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) on 27 November 2019.
The cut steel event of the 4th FAC was held in January 2017, after three years of construction ship is launched. In contrast, FAC(M)-3 (PNS Himmat) took 24 months from its steel-cutting ceremony to launch.
FAC-4 is a bit different than previous ones, which was intended as the “first indigenous design”, that’s why construciton period lasted longer than previous ones. The Pakistan Ministry of Defence Production’s (MoDP) yearbook for 2017-2018 also stated that FAC(M)-4 was being built “without seeking foreign technical expertise.”
Thus, the longer construction period of FAC(M)-4 could be the result of KSEW trying to construct the ship without the main original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) technical documentation. Likewise, FAC(M)-4 also bears multiple differences in its superstructure compared to the preceding three ships.
KSEW’s illustration of FAC(M)-4 indicates that the PN will equip it along similar lines as FAC(M)-3, i.e., PNS Himmat, especially in terms of including the Harbah or Improved Harbah anti-ship cruising missile (ASCM).
Azmat Class FAC Specifications :
Length: 63 m
Breadth: 8.8 m
Draught: 2.46 m
Displacement: 560 tons
Maximum Speed: 30 knots
Range: 1,000 nautical miles
FAC(M)-4 relies on combined diesel-and-diesel (CODAD) for propulsion. In addition to ASCMs (configured in a dual triple-cell system), the FAC(M)-4 will be equipped with a 25 mm gun, close-in-weapons-system (CIWS), and various sensors, including a surface search and tracking radar.
