KARACHI, July 19: Three ships were formally commissioned and inducted into the Pakistan Navy fleet at an impressive ceremony held at the naval dockyard on Tuesday.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir was the chief guest.

The ships were ‘PNS Madadgar’ and PNS Rasadgar’ — the small tanker-cum-utility ships (STUS) — and ‘PNS Alamgir’.

The STUS, the first of their class, have been indigenously built by the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works. They are designed and equipped for multi-faceted roles with robust and reliable modern machinery and equipment.

PNS Alamgir (ex-USS Mcinernely) is an Oliver Hazard Perry class guided-missile frigate. It was commissioned into the Pakistan Navy on August 31, 2010 after which it underwent major refurbishment and essential repairs in the United States.

OHP frigates are being used by a number of navies.

PNS Alamgir will augment the maritime security operations capacity in the Arabian Sea in addition to supporting the PN surface fleet.

Speaking at the ceremony, Admiral Bashir said that the induction of tanker-cum-utility vessels was a manifestation of PN’s commitment and resolve towards self-reliance and indigenisation which had resulted in numerous benefits not only in long-term cost savings but more importantly in establishing expertise and confidence among PN personnel to stand on their own feet.

Vice-Admiral Abbas Raza, Commander Pakistan Fleet, said that the PN fleet was committed to defending sea frontiers of the country and continuing its contribution towards maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

He said that the ongoing indigenous projects ranged from platform design and construction to development of sensors, command and control systems, simulators and computer-based training modules.