Turkish firm STM signed a contract yesterday to enhance capabilities of Pakistan Navy’s Agosta 90B Submarines.
The company will modernize four Pak submarines.
The bid for the submarine modernization tender was won by STM in June 2016 against the submarines' French manufacturers.
The Agosta-class submarine is a class of diesel-electric fast-attack submarine developed and constructed in France to succeed the Daphné submarines.
The Agosta–90B class submarines is an improved version with modern systems, better battery with longer endurance, deeper diving capability, lower acoustic cavitation and better automatic control (reducing crew from 54 to 36). It can be equipped with the MESMA air-independent propulsion (AIP) system. It is capable of carrying a combined load up to 16 torpedoes, SM39 Exocet anti-ship missile and seaborne nuclear cruise missiles.
The submarines were built through the technology transfer by France to Pakistan.