New Delhi: In an era where naval dominance hinges on speed, endurance, and rapid deployment, propulsion reliability is a non-negotiable requirement for any modern warship. Yet, the Pakistan Navy’s fleet of frigates is struggling with systemic propulsion failures, drastically limiting its operational capacity in both peacetime patrols and potential conflict scenarios.
Persistent engine breakdowns, chronic cooling system faults, and overall reductions in naval mobility have created a maritime force ill-prepared for high-tempo operations. These propulsion woes not only undermine Pakistan’s deterrent posture but also highlight deep-rooted flaws in platform acquisition, maintenance, and long-term fleet planning.
Propulsion Systems: The Heart of Naval Mobility
The propulsion system is the beating heart of any naval vessel, powering its movement across vast maritime expanses, enabling evasive manoeuvres, and supporting onboard power needs. A failure in this core system translates to tactical immobility, logistical delays, and mission aborts. All of these severely compromise operational readiness. For the Pakistan Navy, which aspires to secure its interests in the Arabian Sea and beyond, the lack of propulsion reliability is a significant handicap.
Frigates, typically tasked with anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, and escort duties, require high-endurance high-availability propulsion systems to fulfil their strategic roles. Unfortunately, the reality for Pakistan’s fleet is quite the opposite.
Engine Breakdown Epidemic in Pakistan Navy’s Frigates
Reports indicate that several of the Pakistan Navy’s key frigates, particularly the F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigates acquired from China, have experienced frequent engine failures. These breakdowns, often occurring mid-mission, have led to unplanned dockings, aborted operations, and the loss of strategic momentum during joint drills and maritime exercises.
These vessels are powered by Chinese-made SEMT Pielstick diesel engines, which have faced criticism over their reliability and maintainability in tropical maritime environments. Despite being relatively new additions to the fleet, the frigates have shown a decline in mechanical endurance, a troubling indicator of poor platform sustainment and design mismatch with operational conditions.
The consequence? Pakistan’s frigates are often forced to operate below full capacity or are sidelined entirely during critical periods, thereby diminishing naval deterrence in a region dominated by rapidly modernising fleets, such as that of India.
Cooling System Failures: A Recurring Achilles’ Heel
Compounding the problem of engine unreliability is the persistent failure of auxiliary cooling systems. Diesel propulsion engines generate intense heat, especially during prolonged operations or high-speed manoeuvres. The cooling systems, tasked with maintaining optimal engine temperatures have routinely failed to meet the challenge.
This has resulted in emergency engine shutdowns to prevent catastrophic overheating, further limiting mission duration and the frequency of vessel deployment. The cooling systems on board Pakistan Navy frigates, many of which are either underdesigned or poorly maintained, are clearly not equipped for sustained operations in the high-temperature, high-humidity maritime environment of the Arabian Sea.
The issue is exacerbated during summer deployments or exercises near equatorial waters, where temperatures routinely breach operational safety thresholds, especially if engine cooling performance is subpar. As a result, fleet commanders are increasingly wary of deploying frigates in extended missions, fearing in-mission propulsion collapses.
Strategic Implications: Reduced Naval Mobility and Maritime Reach
Naval mobility is essential for projecting power, deterring threats, and participating in multilateral operations. However, the Pakistan Navy’s reduced fleet mobility, caused by propulsion issues, means its maritime posture is largely reactive and regionally confined.
The Pakistan Navy is increasingly unable to maintain a persistent presence in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), participate fully in multinational maritime operations or counter-piracy patrols, or respond rapidly to regional crises or naval provocations.
This loss of flexibility significantly weakens Pakistan’s ability to assert its maritime claims or safeguard its Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs), which are vital for economic and energy security.
By contrast, regional competitors, such as the Indian Navy, operate gas turbine propulsion systems with proven endurance, integrated propulsion monitoring, and modular maintainability. The growing gap in mobility and reliability risks turning Pakistan’s once-ambitious naval modernisation goals into a paper fleet incapable of sustained deterrence.
Underlying Causes: Procurement Missteps and Maintenance Gaps
Several interlinked factors have contributed to this propulsion crisis. First is the issue of procurement misjudgments. The Zulfiquar-class frigates were based on Chinese designs that lacked extensive sea testing in tropical conditions. The engines, while cost-effective, were not known for reliability, and Pakistan opted for them without ensuring robust lifecycle support or proven regional performance.
Secondly, maintenance and logistics support have been inconsistent. Pakistan lacks a deep indigenous industrial base to manufacture or repair advanced propulsion components. This forces reliance on foreign original equipment manufacturers for spare parts, many of whom are slow to respond or constrained by international export controls.
Further, insufficient training of onboard engineering crews, combined with limited real-time engine diagnostics, means that potential issues often go undetected until failure is imminent. Without predictive maintenance tools and supply chain resilience, even minor faults snowball into mission-critical failures.
National Security Vulnerability
The propulsion crisis afflicting the Pakistan Navy’s frigates is not merely a mechanical issue. It poses a national security vulnerability with significant strategic implications. As engine breakdowns and cooling failures continue to degrade fleet mobility, Pakistan risks ceding operational space in its own backyard.
In a region witnessing rapid naval modernisation and increasing maritime contestation, a navy that cannot move cannot deter, defend, or dominate. Unless decisive steps are taken to revamp propulsion systems and rethink platform design, the Pakistan Navy will remain vulnerable to failure, adrift in a sea of growing irrelevance.
(Aritra Banerjee is the co-author of the book ‘The Indian Navy @75: Reminiscing the Voyage)