25th Destroyer Squadron | |
---|---|
Country | Pakistan |
Branch | Pakistan Navy |
Type | Destroyer squadron |
Role | Surface combatant |
Size | 7 ships (as of 2024) |
Part of | Fleet Command |
Garrison/HQ | Karachi, Pakistan |
Ships | List |
Engagements | |
Commanders | |
Commander, Pakistan Fleet | Rear Admiral Abdul Munib |
Aircraft flown | |
Helicopter | Alouette helicopter Z9EC helicopter |
The 25th Destroyer Squadron (DESRON-25) is one of the two destroyer squadrons in the Pakistan Navy and is part of the six total squadrons in the fleet. It is the largest squadron in the navy, second only to the 9th Auxiliary Squadron in terms of ship count and the largest squadron by role. [1] It comprises a fleet of various destroyers, including Tariq-class destroyers, Yarmook-class corvettes, Tughri, and Zulfiquar-class frigates. The Squadron previously operated a fleet six Tariq-class destroyers tasked with various roles, including anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare. [2] The squadron is responsible to the Fleet Command, operating under the commander, Pakistan Fleet. [3]
The 25th Destroyer Squadron is one of the primary surface fleets of the Navy, alongside other operational squadrons [1] such as the 9th Auxiliary Squadron – comprising nine ships, [4] the 10th Patron Squadron – which includes missile boats, [5] the 21st Auxiliary Squadron (AUXRON-21); [1] responsible for survey and dredging operations in area of responsibility (AOR) at sea, [6] the Fast Patrol Craft Squadron, and the 18th Destroyer Squadron. They are officially referred to as the surface warriors. [1]
The formation date of the 25th Destroyer Squadron is not widely documented. However, the squadron operated a UK-built O-class destroyer HMPS Tughtil in 1950 and a US-built Gearing-class destroyer PNS Tughtil in 1980. [7] The squadron later operated a fleet of Type 21 frigates, which were acquired from the United Kingdom and inducted into the navy between 1993 and 1995. Since their induction, these ships underwent modernization upgrades, incorporating advanced weapons and sensor systems to enhance their capability in modern naval operations. [2]
The 25th Destroyer Squadron currently consists of the following ships:
Throughout its history since 1950, some of its commanders became chiefs of the Naval Staff and many others served as commander Fleet and commander Karachi.
Many Pakistani admirals, including Faisal Abbasi, Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, and Naveed Ashraf were promoted to the rank of admiral. Abbasi became the commander Karachi. [25] Ashraf was appointed as the 23rd chief of the Naval Staff. [26] Zafar became the 16th chief of the Naval Staff. [27]
HMS Cadiz was a Battle-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was named after the Battle of Cádiz, in which the French besieged the Spanish town in 1810, which was eventually lifted in 1812 after the French defeat at the Battle of Salamanca.
The Pakistan Navy (PN) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The Pakistan Navy operates on the coastline of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. It was established in August 1947, following the creation of Pakistan.
PNS Tariq (DDG-181) was the lead ship of the Tariq-class destroyers in the Surface Command of the Pakistan Navy that served in the military service from 1993 until 2023. Prior to being commissioned in the Pakistan Navy, she served in the Royal Navy, as general purpose frigate HMS Ambuscade.
Operation Trident was an offensive operation launched by the Indian Navy on Pakistan's port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Operation Trident saw the first use of anti-ship missiles in combat in the region. The operation was conducted on the night of 4–5 December and inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels and facilities. While India suffered no losses, Pakistan lost a minesweeper, a destroyer, a cargo vessel carrying ammunition, and fuel storage tanks in Karachi. Another destroyer was also badly damaged and eventually scrapped. India celebrates its Navy Day annually on 4 December to mark this operation. Trident was followed up by Operation Python three days later.
Operation Dwarka, codenamed as Operation Somnath, was a naval operation by the Pakistan Navy to attack the Indian coastal town of Dwarka on 7 and 8 September 1965. This instance was the first engagement by the Pakistan Navy in any of the Indo-Pakistan Wars.
The Tariq-class destroyers were a class of guided missile destroyers of the Pakistan Navy. They were acquired from the British Royal Navy in 1993–94. The Tariqs were formerly commissioned in the Royal Navy's Surface Fleet as Type 21 (Amazon-class) frigates, a general purpose frigate in the Royal Navy.
MILGEM project (Turkish: Milli Gemi Projesi; English: National Ship Project) is a national warship program of the Republic of Turkey. Managed by the Turkish Navy, the project aims at developing multipurpose corvettes, frigates and destroyers that can be deployed in a range of missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, early warning, anti-submarine warfare, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air warfare, and amphibious operations.
'INS Nirghat (K89) was a Vidyut-class missile boat of the Indian Navy.
The Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971 refers to the maritime military engagements between the Indian Navy and the Pakistan Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The series of naval operations began with the Indian Navy's exertion of pressure on Pakistan from the Indian Ocean, while the Indian Army and Indian Air Force moved in to choke Pakistani forces operating in East Pakistan on land. Indian naval operations comprised naval interdiction, air defence, ground support, and logistics missions.
Zafar Mahmood AbbasiNI(M) HI(M) SI(M) BJSN is a retired four-star admiral of the Pakistan Navy who served as the 21st Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of Pakistan Navy from 7 October 2017 until 7 October 2020.
The Ada class is a class of anti-submarine corvettes developed primarily for the Turkish Navy during the first stage of the MILGEM project. The Turkish Navy has commissioned all four Ada-class corvettes.
PNS Babur (D-182) was a Tariq-class destroyer that served in the Surface Command of the Pakistan Navy from 1993 until being decommissioned in 2014. Before commissioning in the Pakistan Navy, she served in the Royal Navy, formerly designated as HMS Amazon as a general purpose frigate.
PNS Khaibar (DDG-183) was a Tariq-class destroyer of the Pakistan Navy between 1994 and 2022.
PNS Tippu Sultan (DDG-185), a Tariq-class destroyer, served in the Pakistan Navy after it was acquired in 1994. Her design was based on the British Type 21 frigate, and previously served in the Royal Navy as HMS Avenger as a general purpose frigate.
Muhammad Amjad Khan NiaziNI(M) HI(M) SI(M) SBt OM is a retired four-staradmiral of the Pakistan Navy who served as the 22nd Chief of Naval Staff of Pakistan from 2020 to 2023. He previously served as principal secretary to Chief of the Naval Staff and director-general Naval Intelligence, in addition to commanding 2 Zulfiquar-class frigate.
The Babur-class corvette, also known as the PN MILGEM class, is a class of four heavy corvettes under construction for the Pakistan Navy. This class is a subclass of the Turkish MILGEM project. The corvette class is heavier and larger than the Turkish Ada-class corvette and are also equipped with VLS.
The Tughril-class frigates, formally classified as the Type 054A/P frigates, are a series of modified guided-missile frigates built by Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding (HDZH), for the Pakistan Navy. The Type 054A/P is a modified derivative of the Type 054A frigate and was specifically customised to meet the operational requirements of the Pakistan Navy; the class features several capabilities - including anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-aircraft warfare (AAW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and low radar observability. The frigates form the mainstay of the Pakistan Navy's active naval fleet. The class also supplants the obsolete Tariq-class destroyers.
Muhammad Faisal Abbasi HI(M) is a vice admiral of the Pakistan Navy, presently serving as commander Karachi (COMKAR).
The 9th Auxiliary Squadron, also referred to in the media as the 9th Auxiliary and Mine Warfare Squadron, is one of the six squadrons of the Pakistan Navy and serves as one of the two units responsible for auxiliary fleet operations. It is the largest squadron under the Surface Fleet, officially referred to as the Surface Warriors, based on the number of ships. The squadron is primarily designed to provide logistical support and operational assistance to warships. It consists of nine ships, including two fleet tankers, two coastal tankers, two small utility ships, and three minehunters.