PNS Saif (F253)
Pakistani war ship
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
PNS Saif (FFG-253) is a F-22P Zulfiquar-class guided missile frigate which serves as the front line warship of the Pakistan Navy since her commission in 2010.[2]
PNS Saif (FFG-253) anchored in the Manila South Harbor in the Philippines in 2017 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Pakistan | |
| Name | PNS Saif |
| Namesake | Saif (Lit. talwar, sword) |
| Builder | Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard Co. in China |
| Laid down | 4 November 2008 |
| Launched | 28 May 2009 |
| Commissioned | 19 September 2010 |
| In service | 2010–present |
| Home port | Karachi Naval Base |
| Nickname(s) | Saifuddin |
| Status | In active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigate |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 123.2 m (404 ft 2 in) |
| Beam | 13.8 m (45 ft 3 in) |
| Draught | 3.76 m (12 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 29 kn (54 km/h) maximum |
| Range | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km) |
| Complement | 202, 14 officers and 188 enlists. |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament | |
| Aircraft carried | 1 × Harbin Z-9EC ASW helicopter |
| Aviation facilities | Flight deck and enclosed hangar |
Operational history
Saif was constructed and built in China by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard Co. where her keel laying was performed.[3] Saif was subjected to the extensive sea trials conducted by the Pakistan Navy in China under Captain Zubair Shafiq on June–July 2010, and was acquired on 9 November 2010.[4]
On 19 September 2010, Saif was commissioned into the military services of the Pakistan Navy with Adm. Noman Bashir overseeing her commissioning ceremony in China.[5] She is the second warship to have the name Saif, which is a talwar (Urdu: تلوار) or sword (Arabic: سيف). Her commissioning ended the construction phase of the project in China.[6]
On 18 November 2025, Saif arrived at the Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on a replenishment mission. The vessel departed the island on 19 November.[7]
Gallery
The 4-cell C-802 Eagle Strike guided missiles installed in Saif
The C-802 "Eagle" SSM system installed in Saif
The ET-52C torpedo tube launchers
The 76.2 mm gun mounted on Zulfiqar as main naval artillery
