ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Navy flotilla comprising PN Ships Saif, Muhafiz and Munsif reached Bahrain on Monday for participation in Mine Countermeasure and Surface Warfare Multinational Exercise Arabian Gauntlet. “Naval assets from Regional Navies, Pakistan and US Navies are participating in the exercises being conducted in the Central Arabian Gulf from April 17 to 28, 2011,” said an official statement issued here. It further said Bahrain and Pakistan had close brotherly relations and added that both the countries enjoyed strong bilateral ties and were working together in various fields of mutual interest. It is said PN Ships’ visit to Bahrain would further strengthen the existing brotherly relations between the two countries.
Commodore Mukhtar Khan SI (M) is leading the PN Task Force as mission commander and PN Flotilla participating in the exercise includes Saif; referred to as Sword Class Frigate that is recently inducted from China. The ship is capable of performing host of multidimensional tasks in the surface, sub-surface and air warfare domains. The ship is fitted with most potent and state of the art weapon and sensor suite. Other two ships participating in the exercise are PNS MUHAFIZ and MUNSIF.
These are “Eridan Class Tripartite Mine Hunters”. Besides modern navigational and communication systems, ship’s mine hunting suite comprises sophisticated Sonars and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles. The exercise is aimed at enhancing Navy to Navy cooperation, improving inter-operability and liaison between officers and men of various navies. A host of visits and calls by Bahraini Navy delegation to Pakistan Navy units and return calls by visiting delegations are also scheduled during ships stay at Bahrain.
According to statement, PN participation in the exercise will open new avenues of multinational cooperation as well as garner the existing strong bonds of friendship between the participating countries.
