Pakistan to gift old submarines to Bangladesh Navy

[Sid]

Pakistan to gift old submarines to Bangladesh Navy

The Pakistan gift would provide the Bangladesh Navy its first underwater capabilties.


NEW DELHI: In a strategic decision that Indian policy planners are trying to comprehend, Pakistan has agreed to gift two of its old submarines to Bangladesh Navy.

Authoritative sources in the establishment told DNA that Pakistani authorities agreed to the gift when Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia visited Pakistan from February 12 to 14 earlier this year.

Pakistani authorities would refurbish and refit two of its old submarines for the Bangladesh Navy under the agreement.

The Pakistan gift would provide the Bangladesh Navy its first underwater capabilities. This raises several questions regarding Bangladesh’s strategic planning and forecast for the region.

As the information begin to trickle down to policy makers here, the new strength of Bangladeshi Navy is bewildering them. But they admit that they will have to ingrain Dhaka’s new strength into Indian strategic plans.

Sources said Pakistan would be refurbishing two of its Daphne class submarines, which are being decommissioned presently, and give it to Bangladesh Navy. Pakistan Navy had acquired four Daphne class submarined from France in 1969-70.

The Daphne class submarine PNS Hangor, which sunk Indian naval ship Khukri during 1971 war, was decommisioned on January 2, 2006 and is reportedly being converted into a museum ship.

Sources said the the two-submarine deal was the high point of Bangaldesh Prime Minister's visit to Pakistan. The deal was kept under wraps, but New Delhi now has authoritative information through its intelligence channels about Pakistan's strategic move.

Pakistan Navy has a small submarine arm and is presently in the process of inducting Agosta-90B submarines from France.

Sources watching Bangladesh are mystified by the move, given its small navy of just over 10,000 personnel. The Bangladesh Navy is limited mostly to coastal patrolling and is getting a modern frigate built in South Korea.

Indian efforts to woo the Bangladesh Navy, with a possible gift of a ship, has not gone too far. Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash had undertaken a visit to Bangladesh in December, and had made several offers including training for its personnel in Indian facilities and assistance on various other fronts.

http://feeds.pakistannews.net/?rid=a...78943a99c7&f=1

[Sid]

No gift of old Pakistani submarines for Bangladesh

Dhaka, June 5 (DPA) The Bangladesh government categorically denied Monday a report that it had received two old submarines from the Pakistan Navy as gifts, an official spokesman said.


The spokesman, quoting a statement from the Bangladesh Navy, said no deal was struck between the two countries on the submarines during Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's official visit to Pakistan from February 12-14 this year.


The spokesman was commenting on a website report from New Delhi that Pakistan had agreed to refurbish and repaint two of its old submarines and present them as a gift to its erstwhile province.


The Pakistani gift would have given the fledgling Bangladesh Navy its first undersea capabilities.


Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, seceded from Islamabad's rule through a bitter war in 1971 in which India also took part. Bangladesh and Pakistan, however, established diplomatic ties in 1974 and have built up regular economic and cultural relations between them.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/060605/43/64svr.html


Well from these two posts, we can imagine; this almost became a soap opera!

[Jana]

AOA

Sid good to see u after a long time.

I thought it was better to catch u here in this thread,

I had to ask for permission to post rehman's reply on another forum.

can i plz reply me i need it.

[A.Rahman]

Originally Posted by Jana

AOA

Sid good to see u after a long time.

I thought it was better to catch u here in this thread,

I had to ask for permission to post rehman's reply on another forum.

can i plz reply me i need it.

yes post the link as ref too.

[Jana]

Originally Posted by A.Rahman

yes post the link as ref too.

thank you Rahman i was roaming arround to take your permission for posting ur comments from another thread, on another Forum,

Rahamn plz do away with that eddit timings cuz its causing problems.

You can delete my posts on this thread now as i got ur permission.

[master_fx]

wow thats a good thing....... bangadesh will need it.. and hopefully they will also buy a few 053 FFG from china.....

[umairperacha]

I think this is a good move to have better relationship with a muslim country. It is important to have military ties with Bangladesh. If we have to survive we need to have better relations with as much countries as possible.

[Bull]

Ofcourse B'desh wud be happy to get these antique piecies.

but of what use this wud be is difficult to comprehend.A sub that was bought in 1970,and was not considered worthy by PN ( which itself only has a small Sub arm) can only be of academic and goodwill interest.

[master_fx]

i think B'desh might also go for cheap retired chinese DDG, FFG and subs..... such as Luda class, Jianghu class, and Type 033 (Romeo).......

[umairperacha]

I am unable to understand what B'desh wants to do with its navy. If it is planning to have a force against its neibouring countries (if required in case of attack) B'desh need hell lot more than just an antique sub. Do any one have an idea what they really want to have because it is useless to have a sub that is not capable of meeting present day requirements.

[sigatoka]

Originally Posted by umairperacha

I am unable to understand what B'desh wants to do with its navy. If it is planning to have a force against its neibouring countries (if required in case of attack) B'desh need hell lot more than just an antique sub. Do any one have an idea what they really want to have because it is useless to have a sub that is not capable of meeting present day requirements.

Its not useless because its free. Its not for attacking other nations but for self defence and they cant afford to purchase new subs which cost 200million a pop.

[umairperacha]

Thats what I am saying "Self-Defence". How can those subs be capable of meeting any aggression from india or any other nation since PN has removed it from its fleet due to its age.

[sigatoka]

Originally Posted by umairperacha

Thats what I am saying "Self-Defence". How can those subs be capable of meeting any aggression from india or any other nation since PN has removed it from its fleet due to its age.

Pak. removed it because the sub is not really useful agaisnt India, Bangladesh is not going to war with India. It could be useful as training and so on.

PN could have sold the sub for 10million or so, but they decided to gift it. I mean Bangladehs cant expect great things from a sub that has a value of ten million.

[melb4aust]

Nothings gonna happen nor bangladdesh is going to have a war with india. Pakistan has given those subs as good gesture. For bangladsesh its good to have new but old tech, as they lack such thing in the past. Free is free:crazy2: , and it could be starting point for them to have underwater surveilance and a positive platform for the future. Simple is that.....

[Reichmarshal]

For the last time no one has gifted anything to no one.

Those subs are beached at gadani n have been sold as scrap. (except pns ghazi).