Pakistan Commissions PNS Khaibar In Türkiye: What Does It Mean For India?

Pakistan has commissioned PNS Khaibar, its second Babur-class (PN MILGEM) corvette, at a ceremony held on 21 December 2025 at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard in Türkiye. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially handed over the vessel to Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf. The warship was delivered under the 2018 Türkiye-Pakistan MILGEM naval deal, valued at around $1.5 billion, which covers four corvettes for the Pakistan Navy.

PNS Khaibar follows PNS Babur, which entered service in May 2024. Two more ships, PNS Badr and PNS Tariq, are expected to be delivered by 2027, with technology transfer enabling construction work in Pakistan. The corvette is designed for anti-surface, anti-air, and anti-submarine warfare, and is equipped with modern radars, missiles, torpedoes, and helicopter operations. The ship is intended for operations in the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean region.