PNS Hameed
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24°55′49″N 66°52′51″E / 24.9302°N 66.8807°E
| PNS Hameed | |
|---|---|
| Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Radio transmitter facility |
| Controlled by | Pakistan Navy |
| Condition | Active |
| Location | |
  PNS Hameed | |
| Coordinates | 24°55′49″N 66°52′51″E / 24.9302°N 66.8807°E |
| Site history | |
| In use | 15 November 2016 – present (9 years, 5 months) |
PNS Hameed (Urdu: پایگاه بحریہ حمید) is a very low frequency (VLF) radio transmitter facility of the Pakistan Navy (PN), located near the coastal areas of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.[1][2] The primary purpose and mission of the naval base is to enable communication with deployed PN submarines while they are submerged in the Arabian Sea at a very low frequency.[3] It is the first facility with very low frequency transmission capabilities in Pakistan.[1]
The base was commissioned by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Rashad Mahmood and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah on 15 November 2016.[2][4] PNS Hameed was named in the memory of Lieutenant-Commander Pervez Hameed, the first officer of the PNS Ghazi, which sank in an accident during the Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971.[5][6]
According to researcher Mansoor Ahmed, the facility is vital for command and control of submarines carrying a nuclear deterrent patrol, and the establishment of the facility essentially confirms Pakistan has established a preliminary, sea-based arm of its nuclear deterrent.[1]
