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PNS Tariq (D-181)

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For other ships with the same name, see PNS Tariq.

Tariq (DDG 181) (front of USS Pearl Harbor, the last ship in the background) on the fourth row of the formation led by USS Ingraham, participating in the naval drill in the Mediterranean Sea in 2005.
History
Pakistan
NamePNS Tariq
NamesakeTariq ibn Ziyad[1]
BuilderYarrow Shipbuilders in Scotland
Yard number1008
Laid down1 September 1971
Sponsored byBenazir Bhutto
Acquired28 July 1993
Recommissioned1 January 1993
Decommissioned5 August 2023
In service1993–2023
Refit1993
HomeportNaval Base Karachi
IdentificationPennant number: D-181
FateRetired
StatusDecommissioning; currently undergoing renovation works for display as a museum ship
General characteristics
Class and typeTariq-class frigate
Displacement3,700 long tons (3,759 t) full load
Length384 ft (117 m)
Beam41 ft 9 in (12.73 m)
Draught19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)
Propulsion
Speed32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Complement192, 14 officers, 178 enlisted: contents [2]
Armament
Aircraft carried1 × Lynx HAS.3 helicopter
Aviation facilitiesFlight deck and hangar

PNS Tariq (DDG-181) was the lead ship of the Tariq-class destroyers in the Surface Command of the Pakistan Navy that served in the military service from 1993 until 2023. Prior to being commissioned in the Pakistan Navy, she served in the Royal Navy, as general purpose frigate HMS Ambuscade.[3]

Designed and constructed by Yarrow Shipbuilders, Ltd. at Glasgow, Scotland, in 1975, she underwent an extensive modernization and mid-life upgrade program by the KSEW Ltd. at the Naval Base Karachi in 1998–2002.[3]

Tariq was decommissioned on 6 August 2023, alongside plans to return her to the United Kingdom for conversion to a museum ship.

Service history

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Acquisition, construction, and modernization

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Before commissioning in the Pakistan Navy, she served in the Royal Navy as HMS Ambuscade, saw active military operations during the United Kingdom's Falklands War with Argentina in 1980s.[4] She was lead ship based on the Type 21/Amazon design and was constructed by the Yarrow Shipbuilders, Ltd. in Glasgow in Scotland in 1973–75.[5]

After the successful negotiations took place between Pakistan and the United Kingdom to procure the entire fleet of Type 21/Amazon frigates, she was decommissioned by the Royal Navy and a contingent of Pakistan Navy's personnel under Commander Muhammad Anwar arrived to receive training of her operations.: 126 [6] She was commissioned in the services of Pakistan Navy on 28 July 1993 at the Port of Plymouth in England, reporting to its Naval Base Karachi on 18 November 1993.[7]

She was named after Tariq ibn Ziyad, the commander who led the Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711–718 A.D.[8] She was sponsored by the Benazir Bhutto, who as a chief guest and then-Prime Minister serving at that time.[9]

The Royal Navy did not transfer either the Exocet and Seacat missiles, which were removed prior to arriving at Karachi but the Westland Lynx helicopters remained with the ship. The modernization of the ship was performed by KSEW Ltd which later installed the Phalanx system in place of the Seacat missiles as well as the Mk. 36 SRBOC launchers and 20 mm and 30 mm guns were fitted.[8]

Deployment

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Her wartime performance included in deployments in patrolling off the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea as well as deploying in the Mediterranean Sea when she was part of the multinational military exercise with the U.S. Navy in 2005.[10]

After the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Tariq was deployed on a search-and-rescue mission to the Maldives, where she rescued 377 tourists.[11]

Decommissioning and disposal

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On 6 August 2023, after 30 years service, Tariq was decommissioned in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of the ship's original sponsor, Benazir Bhutto.[11]

The Pakistan Navy has responded positively to proposals to return the Falklands veteran to the UK to become a museum ship near her birthplace on the River Clyde, at Glasgow or Greenock.[11][12][13]

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References

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  1. ^ "PNS Tariq". www.paknavy.gov.pk. ISPR Navy. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  2. ^ Anwar, Dr Muhammad (2006). Stolen Stripes and Broken Medals: Autobiography of a Senior Naval Officer. Author House. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-4670-1056-6.
  3. ^ a b Shabbir, Usman (1 June 2003). "Tariq (Amazon) Class (TYPE 21) (DD/FF) « PakDef Military Consortium". pakdef.org. Karachi, Sindh Pak.: Pakistan Military Consortium. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  4. ^ "HMS Ambuscade". Clydebuilt. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
  5. ^ "PNS Tariq visits Kuwait". Kuwait Times. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2018 – via pressreader.com.
  6. ^ Anwar, Muhammad (2006). Stolen Stripes and Broken Medals: Autobiography of a Senior Naval Officer (1st ed.). London, UK: AuthorHouse. p. 240. ISBN 9781425900205.
  7. ^ "Pakistan Naval Ship Tariq visits Oman". Daily Oman. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2018 – via PressReader.
  8. ^ a b "Pakistan Ship on goodwill visit". Times of Oman. 10 November 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2018 – via PressReader.
  9. ^ "Pakistan Navy decommissions last Type-21 Class Ship PNS TARIQ". www.radio.gov.pk. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Photo Gallery". www.defense.gov. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  11. ^ a b c Hasan, Shazia (6 August 2023). "Navy decommissions historic warship after 30 years of service". Dawn. Karachi. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  12. ^ Loudon, Calum (21 February 2023). "Falklands warship launched in 1973 to be turned into museum". STV News. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  13. ^ Hanvidge, Ross (27 October 2023). "HMS Ambuscade: Bid to bring ex-Royal Navy ship to Greenock". Greenock Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
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