Yarmook-class corvette

The Yarmook-class corvette is a class of corvettes in service with the Pakistan Navy. The class is primarily based on Damen Group's Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) 1900.^[3] The primary role of the class is to patrol the sea area.

PNS Tabuk in the Gulf of Oman
Class overview
Name	Yarmook class
Builders	Damen Shipyards, Galati, Romania (Galați shipyard)
Operators	Pakistan Navy
In service	2020–present
In commission	13 February 2020 – present
Planned	4
Completed	4
Active	4
General characteristics (Batch 1-2)[1]
Type	Corvette
Displacement	(B-1) 2,300 tons (B-2) 2,600 tons
Length	(B-1) 91.3m (B-2) 95.8m
Draught	4 m (13 ft 1 in)
Installed power	CODAD, 4 × Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)[2]
Endurance	40 days
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × RHIB boats
Complement	(B-1) 60+ (B-2) 100+
Sensors and processing systems	MR-36A I-band Surface/ Air Search and Track Radar
Electronic warfare & decoys	Decoy flare, chaff launchers
Armament	1 × 30 mm Aselsan SMASH remote weapon station 2 × 12.7 mm Aselsan STAMP remote weapon stations 2 × 4-cell Harbah SSM launchers 1 × 20 mm Phalanx Block 1B CIWS
Aircraft carried	1 × helicopter and 1 × UAV
Aviation facilities	Flight deck

History

Damen signed an agreement with Ministry of Defence Production, Pakistan on 30 June 2017 to design and build two multipurpose corvettes for Pakistan Navy. The Dutch shipbuilder selected its shipyard in Galați, Romania to build these vessels. According to Pakistan Navy officials, the corvettes will "act as force multipliers in enhancing [the] navy's capability of safeguarding maritime frontiers and will offer more flexibility in the conduct of [the] Pakistan Navy's initiative of independent Regional Maritime Security Patrols in the Indian Ocean Region".^[4] On 13 July 2020, PNS Yarmook was inducted into the Pakistan Navy.^[5]

The keel of the first vessel of the second batch of two offshore patrol vessels (OPV) for the Pakistani Navy was laid in 2022.^[6][7] The OPVs of the second batch are larger than the first batch and based on the Damen OPV 2600 design.^[8]

On 12 September 2023 PNS Hunain was launched at Damen Shipyards Galați in Romania.^[9][10]

Last corvette of the second batch (PNS Yamama) was launched on 19 February 2024 at Damen Shipyards Galați in Romania.^[11]

On 20 July 2024, PNS Yarmook set sail on a maritime patrol mission to safeguard Pakistani ports and vessels amidst the Red Sea crisis.^[12]

Design and characteristics

The displacement of both the vessels is 2,300 tonnes. They are designed to carry out a variety of maritime operations and are able to transport both a helicopter and a unmanned aerial vehicle. They can also carry two high-speed rigid-hulled inflatable boats of 11.5 meters (38 ft) and 6.5 meters (21 ft) simultaneously. In addition to that, they are designed to accommodate two twenty-foot equivalent units for special mission-based operations.^[13][14]

The vessels of the second batch have a length of 98 meters (322 ft), a beam of 14.4 meters (47 ft) and a draft of 4 meters (13 ft).^[15] The displacement of both vessels is approximately 2600 tonnes.^[7] Besides being larger than the corvettes of the first batch, the second batch corvettes are also more heavily armed.^[16]

Ships in class

Yarmook-class corvettes
Name	Pennant	Shipyard	Launched	Commissioning	Notes
Batch-I
PNS Yarmook	F-271	Damen Shipyards Galati	17 May 2019[3]	13 February 2020[13]	Named after the Battle of the Yarmuk.
PNS Tabuk[17]	F-272		3 September 2019	12 November 2020[18]	Named after the Battle of Tabuk.
Batch-II
PNS Hunain	F-273	Damen Shipyards Galati	12 September 2023[9]	26 July 2024[19]	Named after the Battle of Hunayn.
PNS Yamama	F-274		19 February 2024[20][21]	17 December 2024[22]	Named after the Battle of al-Yamama