PNS ''Shamsheer'' (FFG-252) is the second F-22P ''Zulfiquar''-class

guided missile frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

currently in active

service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...

with the

Pakistan Navy The Pakistan Navy (PN) (; ''romanized'': Pākistān Bahrí'a; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Com ...

since her commissioning in 2009.

Operational history

''Shamsheer''s steel cutting was held at the

Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding is a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). It produces civilian and military ships. Hudong–Zhonghua claims to be the "Cradle of Chinese Frigates and Landing Ships" for its work for the Peop ...

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

on 13 July 2007– the official date of her

keel laying Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a shipbuilding, ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel l ...

. She was officially launched on 31 October 2008, completing a number of sea trials in

. On 19 December 2009, she was commissioned in the

in China, with Adm.

Numan Bashir Numan may refer to: People * Ahmad Muhammad Numan (1909–1996), twice Prime Minister of the Yemen Arab Republic (1965, 1971) * An-Numan ibn Muqarrin (died 641), a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad * Arthur Numan (born 1969), Dutch former ...

, then- Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), sponsoring and overseeing the commissioning of the ship from China. She is the namesake of ''Shamsheer'', which means ''Sword'' and is a special type of

sabre A sabre or saber ( ) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the Early Modern warfare, early modern and Napoleonic period, Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such a ...

with a 5–15°

curve In mathematics, a curve (also called a curved line in older texts) is an object similar to a line, but that does not have to be straight. Intuitively, a curve may be thought of as the trace left by a moving point. This is the definition that ...

from top to tip. Upon commissioning, she embarked on a long journey from

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

, Sindh, and later paying a four-day state visit to

Port of Colombo The Port of Colombo , (known as Port of Kolomtota during the early 14th Century Kotte Kingdom) is the largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean. Located in Colombo, on the southwestern shores on the Kelani River, it serves as a ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. On 23 January 2010, ''Shamsheer'' reported to her home base, Naval Base Karachi. Upon her arrival at the Naval Base, a celebrating reception was held at the deck of the ''Shamsheer'', attended by Chinese Vice Admiral Tian Zhong and

Vice-Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of vic ...

Asif Sandila, Vice Chief of Naval Staff. In 2014, ''Shamsheer'' visited

Port Klang Port Klang () is the principal port of Malaysia on the Strait of Malacca. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham (), it was renamed to Port Klang in July 1972 and has since become the largest port in the country. It is located about sou ...

for a goodwill visit, with a passing exercise planned with the

Royal Malaysian Navy The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defence operations. RMN's area of operation consists of 603,2 ...

. In 2015, ''Shamsheer'' was deployed in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

where she was deployed in

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

to participate in evacuating the foreign and Pakistani nationals from

after the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

ensued. In February 2018, ''Shamsheer'' provided medical assistance to Iranian fishermen "in the open sea". As of 2019, ''Shamsheer'' is deployed in

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

as part of the regional maritime security patrol, paying visits in

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

, and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. In March 2022, a flotilla of Pakistan Navy warships including Shamsheer visited the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference
DIMDEX
2022) at Hamad port, organized by Qatar Armed Forces. In April 2022, ''Shamsheer'' visited Port Mina Salman, Bahrain. In October 2022, two personnel were injured while working at the

forecastle The forecastle ( ; contracted as fo'c'sle or fo'c's'le) is the upper deck (ship), deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or, historically, the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters. Related to the latter meaning is t ...

after Shamsheer entered rough seas while en route to

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

before attending the annual Japanese fleet review. The ship sent a

Distress signal A distress signal, also known as a distress call, is an internationally recognized means for obtaining help. Distress signals are communicated by transmitting radio signals, displaying a visually observable item or illumination, or making a sou ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

after which it anchored at Santa Ana port from where NOLCOM forces transported the injured personnel to a Hospital. PNS Shamsheer was deployed in the Red sea because of the attacks made on international ships and vessels by the

Houthi The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Zaydi Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaydi Shias, with their namesake leadership being drawn largely ...

Rebels of Yemen Starting from late 2023, following the

Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shamsheer (F252) F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigate 2008 ships Ships built in China