Surface Forces: Pakistan's Little Turks

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December 7, 2007: Pakistan is building, under license, two Turkish patrol craft. The ONUK MRTP33 Fast Patrol Boats have been very popular with the Turkish, Albanian and U.S. Coast Guards. These are hundred foot boats, which use diesel and gas turbine power plants to attain high speed (90 kilometers an hour or more), as well as a water jet system for high maneuverability. The boats weigh 30 tons, carry up to twenty crew and can stay at sea for three days at a time. Standard armament is a 57mm rapid fire gun, plus machine-guns and small arms. Anti-Ship and anti-aircraft missiles can be carried. The use of composites in these boats makes them very sturdy and stealthy.

Pakistan has been importing these patrol boats from Turkey for over five years and have been very pleased with the performance.