According to reports, Pakistan procured a specialised research or spy ship named PNS Rizwan from China in 2023. Allegedly, the ship possesses the capability to track nuclear-armed ballistic missiles and carry out other intelligence-gathering missions.
Popular OSINT expert Damien Symon has revealed pictures of this newly inducted spy ship on X.
According to Symon, the spy ship was constructed by China’s Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Company Limited and was also spotted in Indonesia during its transfer journey from China to Pakistan.
Analysis of recent imagery along supported by other sources suggests Pakistan has procured a new Intelligence gathering vessel from China in 2023 pic.twitter.com/fTAH3vKg4g
— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) March 16, 2024
The pictures reveal that the vessel has three domes, likely to host missile tracking radars and other equipment, and is said to be Pakistan’s answer to India’s INS Dhruv. However, with PNS Rizwan being 87 metres long, it is significantly smaller than the 175-metre-long INS Dhruv.
With PNS Rizwan, Pakistan joins the elite club of countries—US, Russia, China, France, and India—that operate strategic missile tracking vessels.
The Indian navy inducted INS Dhruv in 2021, which was jointly designed by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and DRDO. It was built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL).
The INS Dhruv is a key component in India’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, capable of tracking nuclear-armed ballistic missiles from long distances. It is also being used to test Naval BMD interceptors.
While Pakistan doesn’t currently possess ballistic missile defence systems, there is potential for the country to acquire them from China in the future. The induction of PNS Rizwan enable Pakistan to track nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.
China has several spy ships of this kind, which are used to track Indian missile tests in the Indian Ocean Region. In the near future, Pakistan may also send its spy ship to track Indian missile tests.
