Pakistan Navy gets its first spy ship, courtesy China

Vikrant Singh

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Pakistan Navy has inducted its first research vessel, or spy ship, with assistance from China in an attempt to counter the growing muscle of the Indian Navy. The 87m-long PNS Rizwan is understood to be Pakistan’s answer to India’s INS Dhruv; however, it’s much smaller than the 175-metre-long marine beast, packed with long-range radars, dome-shaped tracking antennae, and advanced electronics.

INS Dhruv was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2021 with capabilities to track nuclear missiles and gather intelligence. Vessels like these play a crucial role in modern-day warfare.

By inducting PNS Rizwan, Pakistan has joined an elite list of nations that operate such ships, including India, France, the US, the UK, Russia, and China.

China’s ‘Pakistan card’

Experts say China wants to boost its interests in the Indian Ocean Region by reinforcing a crucial ally like Pakistan.

“This modernisation effort of Pakistan is supported by China aligning with its strategic interests in the Indian Ocean Region, with aims to enhance the capabilities of a crucial ally,” said open-source intelligence expert Damien Symon on X.

Vessel moved from China in June 2023

While the induction of PNS Rizwan happened away from the limelight and wasn’t majorly covered by news broadcasters, its movement was closely tracked last year as it fared in seas from May to June from China to Indonesia.

Since then, the vessel has not turned on its Automatic Identification System (AIS). The ship is apparently built in Fuzhou, where the Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Ltd is based. It is the earliest-established Chinese shipbuilding facility in 1866 by the then-Chinese government.

On the other hand, INR Dhruv is built at Hindustan Shipyard in Vizag.

Significance

The recent induction of PNS Rizwan in Pakistan Navy can pose security challenges to India as it may be deployed near Indian coasts to monitor India’s missile launches as well as map oceanographic data.

It may also boost China’s ongoing intelligence-gathering operations in the Indian Ocean region.