PNS ''Aslat'' (FFG-254) is a F-22P ''Zulfiquar''-class

guided missile frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

currently in active

service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...

with the

Pakistan Navy The Pakistan Navy (PN) (; ''romanized'': Pākistān Bahrí'a; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Com ...

since her

commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

in 2013.

Operational history

''Aslat''s

design A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

and the steel cutting took place in KSEW, Ltd. in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

in 2009. Her

keel laying Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a shipbuilding, ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel l ...

and launch ceremony took place on 16 June 2011 with Adm. Noman Bashir witnessing its ceremony. On 18 April 2013, ''Aslat'' was commissioned into the

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

of the

and was presented with her colors by Adm. Asif Sandila. With the commissioning of the ''Aslat'', the project of building the Zulfiquar-class guided missile frigates concluded the $750 million technology transfer contract with

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. The second warship has the namesake of ''Aslat'', which is a type of

Arab sword The saif (), sometimes called a shamshir (from ), depending on the era, originated in Arabia before the 7th century. Little is known about this weapon besides what Al-Kindi wrote in his treatise ''On Swords'' in the 9th century. Description In ...

used by Arab warriors in the

Early Islamic conquests The early Muslim conquests or early Islamic conquests (), also known as the Arab conquests, were initiated in the 7th century by Muhammad, the founder of Islam. He established the first Islamic state in Medina, Arabian Peninsula, Arabia that ...

. PNS Aslat was deployed in the

Red sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

because of the attacks made on international ships and vessels by the Houthi Rebels of Yemen Starting from late 2023, following the Israel - Hamas war. On 1 February 2025, ''Aslat'' arrived at the

Port of Colombo The Port of Colombo , (known as Port of Kolomtota during the early 14th Century Kotte Kingdom) is the largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean. Located in Colombo, on the southwestern shores on the Kelani River, it serves as a ...

, Sri Lanka, for an official visit under the command of Captain Muhammad Azhar Akram. The vessel departed on 4 February 2025. ''Aslat'' returned to the Port of Colombo on 5 March and left the island on 6 March 2025.

Gallery

File:IMCMEX 141105-N-TD490-309 (15562561097).jpg, PNS ''Aslat'' cruise to petrol off its deployment in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

with

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

's USS Mitscher in 2014. File:IMCMEX 141105-N-RB546-081 (15133773114).jpg, An Alouette III helicopter assigned ''Aslat'' flies by USS Mitscher in Indian Ocean in 2014. File:IMCMEX 141105-N-RB546-077 (15133792804).jpg, An Alouette III helicopter from Squadron 333, the Seagulls, assigned ''Aslat'' lifts off from the USS Mitscher in 2014. File:Fregat VMS Pakistana-4.jpg, PNS ''Aslat'' anchored in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

to hold exercise with the

Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...

. File:Fregat VMS Pakistana-S.jpg, PNS ''Aslat'' being arrived to participate in exercise with

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aslat (F254) F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigate 2011 ships Ships built in Pakistan