Military

New French submarine to join Pak Navy - daily

IRNA

Islamabad, Nov 30, IRNA -- The first indigenously-built French-origin 
Agosta 90-B class submarine `Saad` will be inducted to the Pakistan 
Navy fleet on December 12. 
The submarine, which is the second of the three such platforms 
for which Pakistan has entered into a US dollar 1 billion deal with 
France, has undergone intensive tests of state-of-the-art propulsion, 
depth and weapon system, a local daily said Sunday. 
The first submarine, `Kahlid`, which was built in France, has 
already joined the navy fleet. 
The third Agosta 90-B `Hamza`, which is expected to be delivered 
to the navy in 2004, is being constructed by Pakistani technicians, 
the daily Dawn reported. 
The newspaper said that Pakistan had also acquired three mine 
hunters from France under a similar agreement. "The first one was 
built in France and two were built indigenously." 
MHA/TSH/210 
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