Aselsan has completed factory acceptance tests (FAT) of the Zargana Torpedo Countermeasure System for the Pakistan Navy’s Agosta 90B-class submarines mid-life upgrade (MLU) project.
The tests of Zargana were attended by Pakistan’s Attaché, a Pakistan Navy representative, and STM Defence officials, according to Aselsan’s most recent bulletin. The FATs were also carried out as part of Zargana’s integration with Indonesian submarines.
Aselsan made the initial announcement of the export of Zargana to Pakistan in May 2019. The contract is part of the Pakistan Navy’s Agosta 90B MLU program, which includes the modernization of three Agosta 90B submarines under a contract signed in 2016 with the Turkish STM Company as the prime contractor. STM officials revealed during the Naval Systems Seminar held in Ankara on 15 and 16 November that they delivered the first modernized submarine, PNS Hamza. According to multiple OSINT reporters, the second submarine’s upgrade is complete.
Pakistan is the second country after Indonesia to use the Zargana, which is the first and only system developed in Turkey and superior to its counterparts worldwide.
The FAT was also carried out within the scope of the integration of Zargana with Indonesian Navy submarines. The Zargana Anti-Torpedo Countermeasure System for submarines was developed by the defense company for foreign purchasers as a different version of the domestic system.
The Zargana ensures submarine survivability against torpedo attacks by quick reaction capabilities, provided with the operator-controlled autonomous operation and outboard launchers. The Zargana system uses ZOKA Acoustic jammers and decoys. Acoustic jammer is a broadband high power acoustic noise generator that covers all operating frequency bands of both classical and modern acoustic homing torpedoes operating in passive, active, or combined homing modes. Acoustic decoys are aimed to deceive incoming torpedos by emulating the dynamic and acoustic behaviors of the submarine.
The Zargana System comprises Quick reaction capability, adaptable launching cell configuration as per user requirements up to 24 launching cells, single and salvo launching capabilities, high level of redundancy, bubble-free launching.
The modernization project of AGOSTA 90B class submarines belonging to Pakistan Naval Forces Command is carried out by STM as the main contractor. The agreement was signed between the Pakistan Ministry of Defence Production and our company in Rawalpindi/Pakistan on June 22, 2016. The scope of modernization is the replacement of the Fire Control System, Sonar Suite, Electronic Warfare System, Radar and Periscope System (Navigation and Assault). Integration design, preparation of related documents, integration activities, tests, and experiences along with Integrated Logistics Support services will be provided by STM as the main contractor. Within the framework of the project, the systems of Turkish companies such as HAVELSAN and ASELSAN are also exported indirectly during the modernization process.
Aselsan also announced it had completed the FAT of its MITOSTM WECDIS (Warship Electronic Chart Display), an electronic map-based navigation system that assists navigation by providing information compatible with current electronic maps and provides route planning and route tracking capability to navigation personnel, for the Pakistan Navy’s first Babur-class corvette.
Listed as one of the top 100 defense companies in the world, ASELSAN is the largest defense electronics company of Turkey whose capability/product portfolio comprises communication and information technologies, radar and electronic warfare, electro-optics, avionics, unmanned systems, land, naval and weapon systems, air defence and missile systems, command and control systems, transportation, security, traffic, automation and medical systems.
