Will Pakistan's first spy ship be able to challenge the Indian Dhruv?

India-Pakistan Relations: Pakistan has got its first spy ship. It has been made by a Chinese company only. The ship has been named PNS Rizwan (A94). It is being claimed that the entire cost of building the ship has been borne by the Chinese Navy. Pakistan's spy ship is being considered as the answer to India's research vessel INS Dhruv. Only a few countries have such spy ships. This includes India, America, Russia, France and China. With the help of China, Pakistan has also been added to this list. At present, no information has been given by Pakistan regarding the ship. It is being speculated that like other alleged research ships of China, PNS Rizwan will be used for spying in the Indian Ocean.

What technologies is PNS Rizwan equipped with?

Pakistan's spy ship PNS Rizwan is 87.2 meters long. The ship is capable of tracking nuclear ballistic missiles as well as gathering other intelligence information. Three domes are visible on PNS Rizwan in the image of the ship taken from satellite. It is claimed that they have tracking devices and radar. The ship was last seen in the Arabian Sea. According to the report, this ship can have two main objectives - first, to keep an eye on India's naval activities by deploying it in the Arabian Sea. Through this the neighboring country can come to know about India's strategy. Another possible purpose of the ship could be that PNS Rizwan along with other Chinese ships helps it in gathering intelligence.

Since China had a hand in making it, it is expected that PNS Rizwan will be equipped with the technologies of China's research vessels. These research vessels have the capability to conduct deep water survey and mapping of the seabed in the Indian Ocean. Although China insists that its ships are only for research purposes, many Asian countries, including India, are concerned that sensitive data collected by them could be shared with the Chinese military. Just a few days ago, when a similar Chinese research ship had reached Maldives, the Indian government had raised objection to it.

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

India's multi-featured INS Dhruv

In terms of length, India's INS Dhruv is twice the length of Pakistan's PNS Rizwan. Its length is 175 meters. INS Dhruv is the first ship in the country which can also track long-range nuclear missiles. It has the ability to map the seabed and detect enemy submarines. It is equipped with modern radar which is capable of detecting spying satellites.

INS Dhruv is an indigenous ballistic missile and submarine tracking ship. The work of making it started in 2014. It was built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited in collaboration with DRDO and National Technical Research Organization (NTRO). In 2021, 10 thousand ton INS Dhruv became part of the Navy.

China is increasing Pakistan's strength

China is increasing Pakistan's capability to pursue its strategic interests in the Indian Ocean. Even before this it has delivered warships to Pakistan. A deal for four warships was signed between the two countries in 2018. By the year 2023, China has handed over two warships to Pakistan Navy. One of these is the Chinese-built 054AP warship, which was purchased by the Pakistan Navy in 2021. According to officials, it is capable of conducting surface-to-surface, surface-to-air and underwater combat operations.