Pakistan Navy commissions indigenously built Agosta 90B

KUN0018 4 GEN 0272 KUWAIT /KUNA-PTT0 MIL-PAKSITAN-NAVY-SUBMARINE Pakistan Navy commissions indigenously built Agosta 90B ISLAMABAD, Dec 12 (KUNA) -- Pakistan Navy (PN) has commissioned the first indigenously built Agosta 90B submarine PNS/M SAAD and handed over to the PN Fleet to be able to take part in any operational commitment along with other unit of the fleet on Friday. The submarine is the second in the series of Agosta 90B Submarines. The first Agosta 90B was built in France and commissioned in September 99. Construction of the second submarine started in 1998 after transfer of the French technology to Pakistan. A suicide bomber killed eleven French engineers, helping Pakistan to build the submarine in Karachi, in May 1998. The commissioning of the Agosta 90B was inaugurated by President General Pervez Musharraf. The president congratulated the Pakistan Navy on the induction of new submarine. "Commissioning of the second Agosta 90B (KHALID Class) submarine symbolizes the eternal bond of friendship and time proven relationship of mutual trust and co-operation between France and Pakistan", PN said in the statement. Submarine Construction is one of the most technically-complexed and sophisticated projects attempted in Pakistan, it remarked. "The commissioning of this submarine symbolizes a quantum leap towards national policy of self-reliance in meeting the operational requirements of Pakistan Navy", it said adding that induction of this new submarine in PN Fleet will help maintain peace and stability in this volatile region, by deterring our main adversary from any kind of adventurism. (end) amn.tg KUNA 121100 Dec 03NNNN