Royal Navy’s ‘Guided Missile Frigate’ arrives, crew pays respects to war dead

[Abu Zarrar]

KARACHI: The crew of HMS Argyll, the Royal Navy ship which arrived here on Saturday, paid their respects to Commonwealth military officers who fought and died in this region in the World War-I and World War-II and laid to rest in Karachi.

The ceremony had a six person Guard of Honour from the Royal Marines.

After the ceremony, the British High Commissioner Thomas Drew laid wreaths for four British soldiers from Charterhouse School. This is part of the school’s initiative to remember its alumni. The High Commissioner is himself a Charterhouse alumnus.

Speaking after the ceremony, the British High Commissioner, Thomas Drew, said: “I am privileged today to remember the sacrifices of the war dead, whose towering legacy remains as important today as it ever has. I am proud that we can commemorate this occasion by paying respects with the Royal Marines.”

HMS Argyll is a Type-23 Guided Missile Frigate which was commissioned in Royal Navy in 1991.

The Royal Navy Ship’s visit to Pakistan is aimed at strengthening mutual collaboration and interoperability between the two navies through conduct of exercises and discussions on issues of common interest. During the visit to Karachi, professional interactions, sports and social activities will also be held.

The visit will be followed by Pakistan Navy and Royal Navy bilateral exercises at sea. The bilateral exercise will cover a wide range of naval operations aimed at enhancing interoperability between the two navies.

An impressive reception was arranged by Pakistan Navy to welcome HMS Argyll at the Karachi Port. The ship was received by senior PN officials and members from the British High Commission.

Earlier in July, Pakistan Navy F-22P Frigate had also visited Portsmouth, UK.

Source:https://www.dawn.com/news/1433126

 

[Jinn Baba]

Damn! She looks like a rust bucket.

 

[Bilal Khan 777]

Damn! She looks like a rust bucket.

She is due for maintenance in Singapore after Karachi port call.

 

[S.Y.A]

Damn! She looks like a rust bucket.

Still better than the type-21s. FYI, we were going to get these instead of the type-21s when junejo and his cabinet effed it up.

 

[Bilal Khan 777]

Still better than the type-21s. FYI, we were going to get these instead of the type-21s when junejo and his cabinet effed it up.

It was not a a good deal, the T23 offer to PN, it was a watered down version and we all opposed it in int staff as RN refused to release their in-service sensors and weapons for the Pakistani T23.

 

[S.Y.A]

It was not a a good deal, the T23 offer to PN, it was a watered down version and we all opposed it in int staff as RN refused to release their in-service sensors and weapons for the Pakistani T23.

And the T21 was a good deal?

 

[Bilal Khan 777]

And the T21 was a good deal?

It was essential. The ships came at a very low price, and filled to force numbers in the gap that was left by the lease return of Brooks and Garcia.

 

[S.Y.A]

It was essential. The ships came at a very low price, and filled to force numbers in the gap that was left by the lease return of Brooks and Garcia.

Half of them armed with ssm, other half with sam. They were not exactly multirole either. How exactly did it add anything? T23 would still have been better, could have been upgraded later on.

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

It was essential. The ships came at a very low price, and filled to force numbers in the gap that was left by the lease return of Brooks and Garcia.

We're the alternative Dutch or German offers at the time any better? I'm guessing the whole new frigate program at the time went down to a lack of funds?

 

[Bilal Khan 777]

Half of them armed with ssm, other half with sam. They were not exactly multirole either. How exactly did it add anything? T23 would still have been better, could have been upgraded later on.

Did not have 200 Million Pound per ship at the time. Armed forces gave no credence to Navy at the time, and few of us who took their side were not listened to.

We're the alternative Dutch or German offers at the time any better? I'm guessing the whole new frigate program at the time went down to a lack of funds?

Lack of funds, and watered down version.

Half of them armed with ssm, other half with sam. They were not exactly multirole either. How exactly did it add anything? T23 would still have been better, could have been upgraded later on.

That is another fiasco. The ones armed with Harpoons and Phalanx, during the crisis with India, are called the non-modernized ships, even though they received the C3 from Celsius Tech. The so called modernized configuration, Project Horizon, has had many challenges. The DA-08 radar installation was a success, but NAJIR and DS-30B guns could never be installed or fully integrated. The LY60 SAM was disaster, having failed during initial trials, was never fired again, considering the radar system was always unserviceable. The Active Towed Array Sonar, ATAS, never worked. 43X2 Torpedoes seemed to be successful, but remain untested. The 184 sonars were refurbished by KRL and become fully operational. The system integrator that Navy lagged at the time gave birth to Maritime Technologies Complex, or MTC for short, which took the work and process of PN Dockyard R&D Division and made it a proper engineering design and integration house that it is today.

Type 21s Amazons brought in the latest operating and safety procedures of Royal Navy, and refreshed PN's own processes which were based on Gearing Ships. I believe Type-21s were great ships and have served us well.

Just my two cents.