Pakistan to gift old submarines to Bangladesh (mother of ironies!!)

Daily News Analysis ^ | Friday, June 02, 2006 | Josy Joseph

[sukhoi-30mki]

Pakistan to gift old submarines to Bangladesh Navy

Josy Joseph

Friday, June 02, 2006 23:14 IST

The Pakistan gift would provide the Bangladesh Navy its first underwater capabilties.

NEW DELHI: In a strategic decision that Indian policy planners are trying to comprehend, Pakistan has agreed to gift two of its old submarines to Bangladesh Navy.

Authoritative sources in the establishment told DNA that Pakistani authorities agreed to the gift when Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia visited Pakistan from February 12 to 14 earlier this year.

Pakistani authorities would refurbish and refit two of its old submarines for the Bangladesh Navy under the agreement.

The Pakistan gift would provide the Bangladesh Navy its first underwater capabilities. This raises several questions regarding Bangladesh’s strategic planning and forecast for the region.

As the information begin to trickle down to policy makers here, the new strength of Bangladeshi Navy is bewildering them. But they admit that they will have to ingrain Dhaka’s new strength into Indian strategic plans.

Sources said Pakistan would be refurbishing two of its Daphne class submarines, which are being decommissioned presently, and give it to Bangladesh Navy. Pakistan Navy had acquired four Daphne class submarined from France in 1969-70.

The Daphne class submarine PNS Hangor, which sunk Indian naval ship Khukri during 1971 war, was decommisioned on January 2, 2006 and is reportedly being converted into a museum ship.

Sources said the the two-submarine deal was the high point of Bangaldesh Prime Minister's visit to Pakistan. The deal was kept under wraps, but New Delhi now has authoritative information through its intelligence channels about Pakistan's strategic move.

Pakistan Navy has a small submarine arm and is presently in the process of inducting Agosta-90B submarines from France.

Sources watching Bangladesh are mystified by the move, given its small navy of just over 10,000 personnel. The Bangladesh Navy is limited mostly to coastal patrolling and is getting a modern frigate built in South Korea.

Indian efforts to woo the Bangladesh Navy, with a possible gift of a ship, has not gone too far. Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash had undertaken a visit to Bangladesh in December, and had made several offers including training for its personnel in Indian facilities and assistance on various other fronts.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Bangladesh is going to get 30+year old boats which were at the forefront of Pakistan's efforts to prevent the birth of Bangladesh in 1971!!!This "gift" is nothing but a intentional slap to India & the memory of the crew of the INS Khukri,which was sunk by one of the sister ships of this class in the 71 war-the first sinking of a surface ship by a sub after WW2.

[Paleo Conservative]

The Pakistan gift would provide the Bangladesh Navy its first underwater capabilties.

I thought all of the ships in the Bangledesh Navy were capbable of going under water.

[Donald Meaker]

Nations have no permanent friends, and no permanent enemies, but only permanent interests.

[sukhoi-30mki]

& how much does it serve Bangladesh's tactical interests in buying 30 year old ships,when they can easily get newer & much cheaper boats from China or Russia??Leave aside the political & symbolic aspects.

[Darkwolf377]

Regifting, or "New To You", subs?

[CtBigPat]

Perhaps they just saw Al Gore's new movie and feared that the whole country of Bangladesh will be underwater in six months.

[GSlob]

"...when they can easily get newer & much cheaper boats from China or Russia??"
They are not buying, but getting a gift. While the boats from China or Russia you mention would undoubtedly be newer, it is difficult to envision the "cheaper" part, i.e. either China or Russia paying the Bangladeshis to take the boats off their hands. And do they have the money to buy new boats?

[Turborules]

mY FIRST thought was... who the Heck would want the country???

[Turborules]

mY FIRST thought was... who the Heck would want the country??? much less fight to take it!

[LRS]

I wonder if George Harrison will celebrate with a free concert? Let me see...

"Give them subs; give them subs;
Give them submarines.
Let them float, like a boat
Til' they dive unseen..."

[The Great RJ]

Imagine if Bangladesh declared war on the Vatican, would the Bangladesh Navy sail up the Tiber to deliver the first shot?

[Leisler]

The subs could help get relief supplies to the parts of the country that are flooded every year.

[thoughtomator]

Sounds like a way for Pakistan to conduct smuggling operations.

[IonImplantGuru]

(((PING!!!))) to the Steely-eyed Killers of the Deep list.

Here's an example of the class...

Wickepedia says: The French Navy built the Daphne class of diesel-electric patrol submarines starting in 1958, of which eleven were used by France. Boats of this design were sold to several other countries: Pakistan (3), Portugal (4), South Africa (3) and Spain (4). However, two (Euridice 1970 and Minerve 1968) sank accidentally, ending such sales. The cause was eventually considered to have been a faulty snorkel design. The French ships were scrapped in the 1990s and Portugal sold one of its boats to Pakistan. PNS Hangor sank the Indian frigate INS Kuukri during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war. Pakistan has now retired the submarines and is replacing it with French Agusta-90B, for which France has given Pakistan transfer of technology & lisence to export it to other friendly countries.

[tacticalogic]

Sounds like it might be almost as big a favor as giving someone a "free" worn-out nuclear reactor.

[EricT.]

Sounds like it might be almost as big a favor as giving someone a "free" worn-out nuclear reactor.

That's what I was thinking. Who would want a sub made by the country that made Peugot cars?

[SmithL]

I thought all of the ships in the Bangledesh Navy were capbable of going under water.

ALL boats, ships, and even some planes, are able to dive. The trick is being able to surface.

[Dog Gone]

I don't see how it's a slap to India.

[SmithL]

India has been trying to make nice with Bangladesh, but has been rebuffed. Furthermore, the boats are of the same class that Pakistan used to sink an Indian ship back in `71.

[Donald Meaker]

The whole place is overrun by pirates, and accordingly, has high ship insurance rates. Smaller old subs would allow the Bangladesh Navy to follow occasional freighters, identify the likely pirates as they move to intercept, and use their deck gun to shell the pirates.

Normally the law of the sea requires that when you take people at sea, you have to take care of them, providing them with a boat, food, or water, and that reduces the utility of conventional submarines. There is an exception for pirates: They are subject to summary execution!