Turkey’s STM has been awarded the tender that was initiated for the half-life modernization of class “Agosta 90B” submarines in the inventory of Pakistani Naval Forces; competing against DCNS which designed and built the submarines.
Thus, engineering exports will be initiated in Pakistan for the first time in the field of submarines, the company said in a statement Wednesday.
Covering a total of three submarine modernization orders; one of which has been confirmed in addition to two orders on an optional basis; the contract was signed on June 22 in Rawalpindi between Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production and the STM.
As part of the project, STM entered an evaluation process with French DCNS Shipyard which undertook the designing and production operations for the aforementioned submarines.
After a tendering process beginning on April 16, STM was found to be technically and commercially superior and was selected as the main contractor to sign the contract.
The modernisation operations will be performed at the Karachi Shipyard. The first submarine will be delivered in 45 months. The other submarines are estimated to be modernised with one year in between the modernisation of each.
STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret was established in 1991 by the decree of the Defence Industry Executive Committee to provide system engineering, technical support, project management, technology transfer and logistics support services for Turkish Armed Forces and Undersecretariat for Defence Industries.