Sorry, I might have made a mistake. China has delivered probably a LPC only a few weeks ago. Please correct me if I am wrong. BN has produced one Khulna-class FAC and has taken delivery of it. Another four are now under construction. All with Chinese technical collaboration.
What surprises me is the whole question of Bangladesh seeking to import naval vessels rather than making her own.
This begs the question of what Bangladesh Navy needs.
In my humble opinion, it is of paramount importance for the Bangladesh Navy to define its objectives before acquiring equipment, as is true of the Bangladesh Army and the Bangladesh Air Force. For the Bangladesh Navy, it surely makes sense to cover the most critical tasks first, the most expansive tasks last. From that point of view, a possible list of objectives might be:
- Protection of fisheries and fishing vessels;
- Protection of coastal shippling;
- Protection of coasts against amphibious attack;
- Medium-range defence of coastlines;
- Long-range defence of coastlines;
- Capability of mounting attacks on potential enemies or hostile fleets;
If this is an acceptable list and prioritisation, then we have the following:
Protection of fisheries and fishing vessels: Long Range Patrol Craft, Fisheries Protection Vessels (both are identical): example, Icelandic fisheries protection vessels;
Protection of coastal shipping: Fast Attack Craft, separately equipped for anti-ship and anti-aircraft defence; Corvettes, for anti-submarine defence;
Protection of coasts against amphibious attack: Fast Attack Craft, fitted with medium- and long-range anti-shipping missiles, linked to Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft; on-shore missile batteries;
Medium-range defence of coastlines: diesel-powered attack submarines, with torpedo and anti-shipping missiles fitted; on-shore missile batteries with extended range;
Long-range defence of coastlines: diesel-powered attack submarines, with torpedo and anti-shippling missiles fitted; on-shore missile batteries with maximal range;
Capability of mounting attacks on potential enemies or hostile fleets: diesel-powered attack submarines, with torpedo and anti-shipping missiles; missile-carrying destroyers, with anti-shipping, anti-submarine and anti-aircraft capability, in sufficient numbers to form independent squadrons to deter littoral naval powers of interest.
It seems from this cursory analysis that a very strictly regulated number of options would meet the
needs of maritime defence, and that purchase of big-ticket items is typically more for the sake of giving the naval head, or heads, their talking points and bragging rights, rather than to the enhancement of defence skills.