KARACHI, Nov 4 Pakistan Navy's anti-submarine and electronic warfare capability to deal with threats at sea got a boost on Thursday with the induction of the second batch of four Z9EC anti-submarine helicopters and the first Information and Electronic Warfare Jet aircraft into the Pakistan Navy aviation fleet.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir was the chief guest of the induction ceremony at PNS Mehran.

The Z9EC helicopters have been acquired from China under a contract with the China National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC), according to a PN statement.

The first batch of these helicopters was inducted last year which has been successfully taking part in naval air operations.

These helicopters operate from F-22P frigates which now make an important part of the Pakistan navy fleet.

The helicopters are equipped with advanced sensors and torpedoes for undertaking the designed role of anti-submarine warfare.

It is worth noting that the third Chinese-made F-22P frigate PNS Saif is reaching here next week and to be inducted into the PN fleet early next week.

The fourth such ship is being constructed at the Karachi shipyard.

The acquisition of the Information and Electronic Warfare Jet aircraft would add a new dimension to the Pakistan Navy's intelligence gathering capabilities, says the PN statement.

The aircraft, equipped with modern and sophisticated equipment, is capable of covering larger areas in a short time span and will significantly enhance maritime domain awareness of own area of operations.

Speaking at the induction ceremony, the chief of the naval staff said that while the Indian ocean got maximum stakes in terms of vital resources and strategically important sea lines of communication, it had also witnessed a rise in maritime crimes posing challenges to regional and extra-regional players.

Considering the threat in the shape of trans-national terrorist networks, security was no longer an isolated affair and navies today were resorting to the concept of collaborative and collective security, he said.

He said “Pakistan Navy is also playing an important role in these collaborative efforts towards peace and security and the induction of new platforms would provide PN with the means to meet these challenges more efficiently and effectively.”

He further said that Pakistan enjoyed time-tested, multi-dimensional and deep-rooted relations with China.

These relations had grown deeper and stronger in all spheres of defence and economic cooperation as the F-22P and the Z9EC projects were the clear manifestations of these bonds of friendship, he said.

Earlier Pakistan Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Tanveer Faiz gave an account of the acquisition programme of these aircraft and their role in the PN aviation fleet.

The ceremony concluded with an impressive fly-past of the newly acquired Z9EC helicopters.

Among others, the ceremony was also attended by Ambassador of China Liu Jian, Vice President of M/s CATIC Yang Ying, senior naval officers and aviators of the Pakistan Navy.