During future Indian missile tests, Islamabad will be capable of gathering vital data thanks to a first-of-its-kind ship in the Pakistan Navy, a report claimed. The engine efficiency, warhead release timing, guidance corrections, and other crucial information regarding Indian missiles now stand the risk of reaching the enemy due to the presence of this intelligence-gathering ship in the Arabian Sea.
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The Pakistani naval ship in question is PNS Rizwan—the country's first missile-detection vessel, which is broadly seen as Islamabad's reply to the INS Dhruv. Commissioned in September 2021, the Indian Naval ship was the country's first dedicated nuclear missile tracking and ocean surveillance ship. However, some reports suggest the Pakistani counterpart boasts more stealth features when compared to its Indian rival.
With its deployment, Pakistan has claimed entry into an elite group of military powers with specialised missile detection ships. China, Russia, and the United States are the other countries in this group, alongside India.
Pakistan Navy’s secret weapon
While Islamabad never officially announced its deployment, Malaysian media reports, citing Pakistani sources, claim that it has been operating in the Arabian Sea since early April. From the moment a missile is launched, the ship will reportedly be capable of analysing how the projectile functions throughout its flight. Apart from tracking missiles secretly, Rizwan can also keep tabs on satellites and military communications, the report added. THE WEEK could not independently verify these claims.
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Needless to say, Pakistan owes the PNS Rizwan to China, its biggest defence partner. The ship was built in China by Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and handed over to the Pakistan Navy in June 2023, Defence Security Asia said in a report. On expected lines, its arrival was handled with utmost secrecy, with the Pakistan Navy using unpopular sea routes to avoid international attention.
While it is suspected that Pakistan wants to hide the vessel's true role, many believe that the ship's primary objective will be to track India's ballistic missile launches, record telemetry, and evaluate technical performance.
"PNS Rizwan carries three large radar domes on top of its superstructure, indicating the presence of sophisticated detection radars, antennas, and electronic intelligence systems. The radar domes are believed to house X-band and S-band active electronically scanned array radars capable of tracking high-speed targets at long distances. X-band radar is particularly important because it allows detailed detection of missile behaviour, including warhead separation, decoy release, and re-entry patterns," Defence Security Asia elaborated.
As a result, many analysts worry that Indian missile tests and naval deployments can now potentially be tracked and studied by Pakistan from international waters.
