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PNS Munsif (M166) Conducting Mine Countermeasure Operations off Makran Coast in Indian Ocean.
History
France
Name	Sagittaire
Builder	Lorient Arsenal, Lorient
Launched	9 November 1988
Commissioned	27 July 1989
Identification	M650
Fate	Sold to Pakistan
Pakistan
Name	Munsif
Acquired	24 September 1992
Commissioned	26 October 1992
Homeport	Karachi Naval Dockyard
Identification	M166
Status	Ship in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Munsif-class minehunter
Displacement	535 t (527 long tons) empty 605 t (595 long tons) full load
Length	51.6 m (169 ft)
Beam	8.96 m (29.4 ft)
Height	18.5 m (61 ft)
Draught	3.50 m (11.5 ft)
Propulsion	1 × 1,400 kW (1,900 bhp) Werkspoor RUB-215 V12 diesel engine 2 × 89 kW (120 shp) ACEC active rudders 1 × HOLEC bow propeller
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h)
Range	3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × PAP 104 ROV
Complement	55 (10 officers, 45 Enlists)
Sensors and processing systems	1 × DUBM-21B sonar 1 × Decca 1229 navigation radar
Armament	1 × 20 mm modèle F2 gun 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns
Aircraft carried	1 × Aérospatiale Alouette III
Aviation facilities	Flight deck

PNS Munsif (M166) (formerly Sagittaire (M650)) is the lead ship of the Munsif-class minehunter currently in service with the Pakistan Navy.

PNS Munsif is based on the French design, the Tripartite-class minehunter, and actively served in the French Navy as the minehunter Sagittaire (M650) before being refitted according to the Pakistani military's service when the Pakistan Navy had bought her in 1992.

Construction, procurement, and deployment

French Navy service

Sagittaire was laid down in 1988, and launched on 9 November 1988 by its builder by French DCNS in Lorient Naval Yard in France. Her design was based on the Tripartite-class minehunter, a joint venture by Belgium, France and the Netherlands, and was commissioned as Sagittaire (M 650) into the French Navy on 27 July 1989. Her technology came from the Dutch Stork B.V. and Belgian ACEC, while DCNS designed the vessel.

In 1990–1991, she saw war operations during the military operation took place in the First Gulf War, and played a supporting role in the Gulf of Oman to clear the naval minefield.

Pakistan Navy service

In 1992, Pakistan entered in talks with France for acquiring the minehunters to improve its naval capability. The French Navy offered to sell Sagittaire which was immediately acquired through a quick payment transaction took place between the two countries in 1992.

Upon reporting to its homeport, the Karachi Naval Base, she was commissioned in the service of Pakistan Navy as Munsif on 26 October 1992 and went through the refitted modernization at the Karachi Naval Base according to the specifications required by the Pakistan military, including the installation and engineering of the flight deck to accommodate the Aérospatiale Alouette III helicopter.

In 1994, Pakistan entered in discussion with the France to design to build to commission the Munsif-class minehunter based on the Tripartite class, with PNS Munsif becoming the lead ship of her class. Based on Munsif, her two sister ships were eventually built in a cooperation between the DCNS and KSEW Ltd. in 1996 and 1997.

As of 2005, PNS Munsif remained in active service for the Pakistan Navy.

References

1. Baker 1998, p. 581.
2. ^ The Defence Reporter: Australia & Asia-Pacific. Asia-Pacific Defence Publications. 2001. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
3. ^ ISPR, Naval. "Minehunters of Pakistan Navy". www.paknavy.gov.pk. Naval ISPR. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
4. ^ "Tripartite Minehunter - Archived" (word.docs). Forecast International. Paris, France. 11 November 2000. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
5. "Sagittaire (6127949)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
6. Tucker, Spencer C. (2014). "§(Minesweepers and Minehunters)" (google books). Persian Gulf War Encyclopedia: A Political, Social, and Military History: A Political, Social, and Military History (1st ed.). New York, US: ABC-CLIO. p. 550. ISBN 9781610694162. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
7. Tucker, Spencer C. (2010). The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts [5 volumes]: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781851099481. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
8. USA, IBP (2009). "§(Pakistan Navy)" (google books). Pakistan Intelligence, Security Activities and Operations Handbook (1st ed.). New York, US: Lulu.com. p. 230. ISBN 9781438737218. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
9. ^ Pike, John (27 August 2005). "Munsif Class (Fr Eridan)". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 14 October 2009.

Further reading

• Baker, A.D. The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland, US: Naval Institute Press, 1998. ISBN 1-55750-111-4.

External links

• ISPR, Naval. "Minehunters of Pakistan Navy". www.paknavy.gov.pk. Naval ISPR. Retrieved 28 October 2018.

v t e Tripartite-class minehunters
Belgian Navy	Aster Bellis Crocus Dianthus Fuschia Iris Lobelia Narcis Myosotis Primula
French Navy Éridan class	Aigle Andromède Capricorne (ex-Dianthus) Cassiopée Céphée (ex-Fuchsia) Croix du sud Éridan Lyre Orion Pégase Persée Sagittaire Verseau (ex-Iris)
Royal Netherlands Navy Alkmaar class	Alkmaar Delfzijl Dordrecht Haarlem Harlingen Hellevoetsluis Maasluis Makkum Middelburg Scheveningen Schiedam Urk Vlaardingen Willemstad Zierikzee
Other operators  Bulgarian Navy Mesta (ex-Maasluis) Struma (ex-Hellevoetsluis) Tsibar (ex-Myosotis)  Indonesian Navy Pulau Rengat class Pulau Rengat Pulau Rupat  Latvian Naval Forces Imanta class Imanta (ex-Harlingen) Rūsiņš (ex-Alkmaar) Tālivaldis (ex-Dordrecht) Viesturs (ex-Scheveningen) Visvaldis (ex-Delfzijl)  Pakistan Navy Munsif class Muhafiz Mujahid Munsif (ex-Sagittaire)

• 1988 ships
• Éridan-class minehunters
• Ships built in France
• Munsif-class minehunters
• Minehunters of Pakistan