Strategic Parity at all Costs
Did PAF procure four Saab 2000 AEW&C platforms with Saudi financial assistance?
By Prasun K. Sengupta
Although its official stance is not to get engaged in tit-for-tat arms race with India, Pakistan is nevertheless determined to not only attain strategic parity with its eastern neighbour, but also to maintain superiority in select areas, such as the arena of undersea warfare. It is believed that Islamabad is now negotiating with the Shanghai-based China State Shipbuilding & Trading Corp (CSTC) the possible purchase of up to four double-hulled Improved Yuan-class diesel-electric submarines (SSK) equipped with fuel cell-based air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems, with each SSK costing USD 230 million. Also on the cards is the possible lease for a 10-year period of a 5,500-tonne Type 091 Han-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSGN). Both these prospective deals, along with an expected purchase of four new CSTC-built Type 054 Jiangkai I-class guided-missile frigates (FFG) were reportedly discussed six months ago when Chinas visiting vice president, Zheng Dejiang, met high-ranking Pakistani defence ministry and navy officials in Islamabad on June 9 and 10.
This development would effectively put an end to the Pakistan Navys (PN) three-year-old efforts to procure new-generation SSKs worth USD 1.2 billion from either France or Germany. It may be recalled that France had in July 2006 cleared DCN International to offer three single-hulled Marlin-class SSKs to Pakistan, but matters did not proceed further as the PN had been insisting that the to-be-acquired SSKs
be modified to fire Boeing-built RGM-84A Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles (the three existing1,760-tonne Agosta 90B and two 1,043-tonne Agosta 70 SSKs of the PN are presently configured to fire only the MBDA-built SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missile). Subsequently, from 2008 onwards the PN zeroed in on the single-hulled Class 214 SSK built by Germanys Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), but the balance tilted in favour of CSTC early this year when Beijing offered not only the Improved Yuan SSKs, but also the Type 091 Han-class SSGN, offers that the PNs Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Noman Basheer and Pakistans President Asif Ali Zardari have since wholeheartedly embraced. However, in an effort to mollify the French, a high-level PN delegation visited France on April 27 to begin contract negotiations with DCNI concerning the upgrading of the PNs two existing Agosta 70 SSKs. This contract was inked last June, and includes the installation of two SUBTICS combat management systems on the two SSKs.
The improved Yuan-class SSK, with a submerged displacement close to 4,000 tonnes, bears a close resemblance to the Russian Type 636M SSK, and features hull-retractable foreplanes and hydrodynamically streamlined sail. The first such SSK was launched at Wuhan Shipyard on September 9. The leasing of a single 5,500-tonne Type 091 Han-class SSGN is widely seen as a matching response to the Indian Navys leasing of the Project 971A Shchuka-B SSGN K-152 Nerpa from Russia. Presently, only four such SSGNs are operational with the PLA Navy and are homeported at Qingdao. Each of them has undergone extensive refits and upgradations over the past decade, and it is most likely that either the Changzheng 3 (403) or Changzheng 4 (404) will be the one destined for Pakistan. Both these SSGNs underwent mid-life refits in 1998 and were back in service by 2000. Each such SSGN is powered by a nuclear, turbo-electric propulsion system comprising one pressurised water reactor rated at 90mW. It can fire both the 250km-range YJ-83 anti-ship cruise missile or the 220km-range C-705 anti-ship cruise missile. The SSGN also has six 533mm torpedo tubes, and carries a total of 20 torpedoes, including the Yu-3 (derived from the Russian SET-65E and equipped with active/passive homing sensor and 205kg warhead, and having a range of 15km while travelling a speed of 40 Knots warhead 205kg). Alternatively, the SSGN can carry 36 mines. The crew complement is 75, and the SSGNs length is 106 metres, beamwidth is 10 metres, draught is 7.4 metres, and its dived speed is 25 Knots.
The Type 054 Jiangkai I-class FFG, built by CSTCs Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard and the Guangzhou-based Huangpu Shipyard, comes armed with twin quadruple launchers amidships housing the YJ-83 anti-ship cruise missile (equipped with a 165kg warhead), one eight-cell Hong Qi-7 short-range SAM system designed to engage aircraft in all-weather conditions out to a range of 12km, a single-barrel 100mm main gun developed by Chinas 713 Institute, four six-barrel 30mm AK-630M close-in weapon systems (CIWS), twin 18-tube countermeasures dispensers, and twin Type 87 six-tube 240mm anti-submarine rocket launchers, with 36 rockets. The FFG has a combat management system built by China Electronics Technology Group Corp (CETC), and a sensor suite that includes a Type 360S 2-D air/surface radar operating in E/F-band and having a range of 150km, one I-band MR-36A surface search radar, an I-band Type 347G radar for CIWS fire-control, an I/J-band Type 344 radar for main gun targeting, and a J-band Type 345 radar for fire-control of the Hong Qi-7. The FFG also comes fitted with a Russian MGK-335 fixed hull-mounted medium-frequency active/passive panoramic sonar suite. The propulsion system is of the combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) arrangement and employs four SEMT Pielstick (now MAN Diesel SA) 16 PA6V-280 STC diesel engines. China imported the 16 PA6V-280 STCs production rights in the late Nineties and is now producing the engines locally under licence at Shaanxi Diesel Factory. Each 16 PA6V-280 engine can produce a sustained power of 4,720kW (6,330hp), giving a total power of 18,880kW (25,320hp).
Meanwhile, the PNs efforts to induct its three CSTC-built F-22P Sword-class FFGs are proceeding smoothly. The first such FFG-PNS Zulfiquar was launched by CSTC on 5 April, 2008 and commissioned on 30 July, 2009. It arrived in Karachi on September 13 the same year and was inducted into the PN fleet on September 19. The second FFG-PNS Shamsheer was launched at Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard on 31 October, 2008 and was commissioned on 19 December, 2009 in Shanghai. The third FFG-PNS Saif was launched in Shanghai on 28 May, 2009 and it was commissioned on September 15 this year. Licensed-construction of fourth FFG began last March at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, and it will be delivered to the PN in April 2013. Each F-22P FFG displaces 3,144 tonnes and is 123.4 metres long. The armaments suite comprises eight C-802A anti-ship cruise missiles, one eight-tube FM-90N SAM system, one 100mm AK-176M main gun, twin Type 730 CIWS, twin ET-52C 324mm triple torpedo tubes, and RDC-32 ASW rocket launchers. There is also provision for a helicopter deck for housing a Z-9EC helicopter. The combat management system is the ZKJ-3C from CETC, while the hull-mounted panoramic sonar is the Echo Type 5 system. The EW suite comprises a RWD-8 intercept system and NJ8I-3 jammer, while the on-board surveillance sensors include one SUR-17 air-surveillance radar, one SR-60 air/surface search radar, and a Kelvin-Hughes 2007 navigation radar. Propulsion system is of the CODAD-type using two Tognum MTU 12V 1163 TB 83 diesel engines that give the FFG a top speed of 28 Knots. Crew complement is 188.
As far as force modernisation of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) goes, 2010 has been an extremely good year. The roll-out ceremony of first Shaanxi ZDK-03 Karakoram Eagle airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft designed specifically by CETC for the PAF was held in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, on November 13. The ceremony, which was attended by the PAFs Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, coincided with President Asif Ali Zardaris visit to China his sixth since assuming the position in 2008. It may be recalled that the PAF had inked a USD 278 million contract in December 2008 with CETC for the joint development of four ZDK-03s, which are due for delivery in the first quarter of next year. In a parallel procurement effort, the PAF has also become the first customer for the Saab 2000 AEW&C platform. The Skr 6.9 billion order for these four platforms was placed in June 2006 under Project Horizon, but the contract was renegotiated in May 2007 and its value was reduced to Skr 1.35 billion. The first aircraft was delivered on 8 December, 2009, with the second following on April 24 this year. The remaining two were expected to be delivered at press-time. Also being delivered are up to six ground receiving stations. Saab will provide an integrated logistics system (ILS) for these four aircraft for a 35-year period. It is believed that the PAF has procured the four Saab 2000 AEW&C platforms with Saudi financial assistance and in return the PAF will train the Royal Saudi Air Force to operate the latters three Saab 2000 AEW&C platforms, which were ordered last June under a USD 680 million contract.
Also delivered this year to the PAF by Ukraine were four IL-78MP aerial refuelling tankers, each of which is fitted with a three-point drogue refuelling system, and two removable fuel tanks installed in the freight hold, with each holding 18,230 litres of fuel with a total transferable fuel load of 85,720kg. Being negotiated now is the purchase of up to four batteries of CPMIEC-made Hong Qi-18 (HQ-18) long-range (80km) surface-to-air missile system, which was demonstrated to ACM Rao Qamar Suleman early last month.
