Pakistan naval vessel docks at Muscat port

Muscat: Pakistan Naval Ship Tippu Sultan arrived at the Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat yesterday on a four-day goodwill visit.

"This is a courtesy goodwill visit during which Naval officials will give courtesy call to their counterparts in Oman," Captain Wasim Akram, Defence Attache at the Pakistan Embassy in Oman told Gulf News yesterday.

"PNS Tippu Sultan was commissioned on September 23, 1994 and is named after Sultan Fateh Ali Tippu who ruled Mysore, now a city in southern India, from 1762 to 1799," he revealed.

He explained that Tippu Sultan had mastered the arts of riding, lancing, archery and swordsmanship by the age of 15. His extraordinary valour earned him the title Tippu, which means 'Tiger' in his native language. Tippu Sultan was a great pillar of resistance against the British in the subcontinent.

Modernisation

"The modernisation of PNS Tippu Sultan was successfully accomplished at the Pakistan Navy Dockyard," the defence attache added.

Captain Bilal Abdul Nasir who joined Pakistan Navy as a cadet on April 1, 1984 and was commissioned in the operation branch in July 1988 is the commanding officer of the ship. "He has done his cadet's basic training from Turkish Naval Academy, Istanbul. He is a graduate of Pakistan Navy War College and Turkish Naval War College," says a statement issued by the embassy here yesterday.

Capt Nasir has also served as a divisional officer and instructor at Pakistan Naval Academy. The ship also carries an Alouette helicopter.

Lieutenant Commander Faisal Hameed who is flight Commander joined Pakistan Navy as Junior Cadet in 1987 and was commissioned on July 1, 1991.

He joined the Naval Aviation in 1997. He is a qualified rotary wing pilot of Alouette helicopter and is also a qualified instructor pilot. He holds the diploma in flight safety and did PN staff course in 2005.

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Leading ship of 25th Destroyer Squadron