Defense Update Bangladesh

Bangladesh Navy is the naval warfare branch of the country tasked to protect Bangladesh’s interests in the territorial & exclusive economic water bodies. Mainly operating in the Bay of Bengal. Currently this force transforming into a three-dimensional naval force in the region.  BD Navy also tasked to protect the EEZ of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal from all types of threats that could hamper our economic and military interests. New warships, submarines, aircrafts for various naval application are being inducted.  Bangladesh’s main trading shipping lines goes through this highly important sea. BN has a great plan to enhance strategic capabilities to respond any internal and external threats quickly. Naval special operations forces has been formed with the needs keep in mind. Indigenous shipbuilding industry growing according to the navy’s needs.  Bangladesh Navy executing a modernization program actively. Under modernization plan dozens of warships will...

Bangladesh Navy setting up a new naval base at Patuakhali. This new base will host surface combatant and submarine berthing as well as a naval aviation facilities. Location of the base is in the Rabnabad channel. This naval base will be the biggest of its kind in the country. The Navy’s own air base will surely bolster operational capabilities of the navy. The name of the base has been settled ‘BNS Sher-E-Bangla’. Currently construction process going on in full speed.

Bangladesh Navy currently operating two Leonardo AW109E Power utility helicopters and two RUAG Dornier Do-228NG maritime patrol aircrafts. Two Leonardo AW159 Wildcat ASW helicopters are on order & recently a tender has been surfaced to purchase to more such copters. On the other hand BN wants to expand its MPA aircrafts fleet to gain real force multiplier capabilities. On the line of this effort BD Navy ordered two more Do-228NG MPAs which will be fitted with the Leonardo SeaSpray AESA radars from Italy on those 2 new Dorniers.

It’s been reported that Bangladesh Navy very much interested in decommissioned Japanese & Australian P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircrafts. Both party seeking international buyers for their P-3Cs platforms which are still capable to serve small and medium navies.  Lockheed P-3C Orion is one of the world’s most capable, long serving MPA platform. It has capabilities of anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASUW). Japan Maritime Sel-Defense Force (JMSDF) & Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) both are the oldest operator of P-3C.

There are one prominent naval special operations force in Bangladesh Navy which is called Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS). Besides, there are two other Spec Ops units also, called Special Boat Service and ODD-71. SWADS are the main naval special warfare branch of Bangladesh Navy.  SWADS been formed under supervision of the U.S. Navy SEALs and accordingly. SWADS’s training as same as Navy SEALs. Their weapons and other gears are also in line with the U.S. SEALs. Bangladesh Navy send their SWADS trainees to the Turkey, South Korea too for training along with U.S. Navy’s Coronado Naval Special Warfare Training Center.  The SWADS are operating in home and abroad to attain the national security goals of Bangladesh. Current strength around 1000-1500 operators. Average drop rate is 95%. Only strong and capable are remains. SWADS can operate almost all types of the weapons available. They’re like shark in the seas, eagle in the skies and leopards in the lands. They...

China State Shipbuilding Corporation launched the third C-13B Shadhinota-class stealth corvette for Bangladesh Navy. This warship has been derived from the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Type 056 stealth corvette.  BN currently operating two C-13B corvettes respectively F111 and F112. These ships are littoral combat and patrol vessels. This ship displaces 1,330 tons. BN has a plan to operate such 12-14 warships in future.

BNS Durjoy is the Durjoy class large patrol craft operating by the Bangladesh Navy (BN) from 2013. It is built by the Chinese Wuchang Shipyard. This LPC has a displacement of 648 tons and carry four C-704 anti-ship cruise missiles. An H/PJ-26 76.2 mm forward naval gun, 2 Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and 2 6-tube EDS-25A 250mm ASW rocket launchers are other armaments.  This ship is intended to operate in coastal waters for mainly surface warfare. China built two of this class, named BNS Durjoy and BNS Nirmul, for the Bangladesh Navy. Another two dedicated anti-submarine warfare (ASW) version has been built in the Khulna Shipyard Limited (KSY) recently. Four more are expected.  As Myanmar navy has no submarine yet but indian navy has, Bangladesh Navy surely deploy them near indian water border. After inducting two Chinese Ming-class attack submarines into active service india expressed unprecedented ire of towards Bangladeshi submarine acquisition. Unspecified sources said tha...

Chittagong Dry Dock Limited will build heavy stealth frigates for the Bangladesh Navy. CDDL or Chittagong Dry Dock Ltd currently owned by the Bangladesh Navy (BN) established as a complementary to the Chittagong Port Authority under Bangladesh Steel & Engineering Corporation. It was intended to maintenance and repair Bangladeshi flagships & those commercial cargo & container vessels touches Chittagong Port.  In 2015 Government of Bangladesh handed over the CDDL to the BN. After that the navy planned to build heavy frigates, large container vessels and alike. Already CDDL built a cargo vessel. In order to commence building of Bangladesh Navy’s heavy frigate which would be a Chinese design, BN teamed up with Chinese Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. (CSOC).  Bangladesh Navy slated to have 12-14 such heavy frigates within 2030. And, most importantly they want to build them at home which would commercially-offset a certain portion of money will...

Bangladesh Navy (BN), the naval arm of the country’s armed forces, observing most vigorous odernization processing ever. Government of Bangladesh sought to secure its 118513 sq kilometers of the maritime boundary which thought to be full of maritime resources. In addition, through the Bay of Bengal, country’s main & only maritime trade corridors goes. Bangladesh Navy is subjected to protect the Sea-Lines-Of-Communication (SLOC), hydrocarbon exploration projects, marine fisheries and to stop illegal migration, drug smuggling, piracy and so on.  Bay of Bengal secured its great importance in the growing geopolitical position in the global influential matters. It has also possess a great position of domination in the region. Bangladesh has dwindling small economy with vast population in the world. Though all short comings Govt. wants to establish a full fledged three-dimensional naval force to ensure all required security of its SLOCs and the ultimate security of the country...

Bangladesh Navy has an inventory of various anti-ship missile of Chinese & Italian origins. These weapon systems are installed on BN warships of various class and sizes. And some of them can be fired from Bangladesh’s upcoming Leonardo Company’s AW159 ASW helicopters too. There are news that latest Chinese C-803 AShM will be featured on BN’s next heavy frigates and stealth corvettes. Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles are the guided weapons system of any potent navy. To maintain credible presence and protect its EEZ in the Bay of Bengal Bangladesh sought to procure many weapons for her naval force. Along with this aspiration Chinese systems are made their way into our navy which form the main share of such capabilities to date. Bangladesh Navy’s main long-range anti-ship missile is the Italian Otomat Mk.2 Block-IV which can hit targets at 200km distance. Another long-range AShM is the Chinese C-802A which has been complemented by the Chinese short-range AShM C-704 for littoral oper...

Bangladesh Navy planning to expand its submarine force by 2020. Chinese S-20/Type 041 Yuan class, German Type 214 or Type 212, Turkish Gur & Reis class submarines are the main competitors. Russia offered its Improved Kilo-class submarines to Dhaka recently. Sources confirmed that Bangladesh Noubahini planning to operate a fleet of at least five attack submarines in near future. Currently BN searching for advanced, cost effective and quieter attack submarines from various origin. Ultimately one will be selected. Two Chinese Type 053G Ming-class submarines will then serve as training boats and can be deployed for coastal patrol duties. To monitor and protect country’s vast maritime boundary and its wealth Bangladesh Navy planning to purchase 4–6 more advanced submarines fitted with latest generation surveillance sensor systems. Bangladesh building a strong “tri-dimensional” naval force to protect the country’s maritime interests in the Bay of Bengal. And for that purpose submarine...

Two Chinese Navy multirole frigates will be inducted by Bangladesh Navy in 2018. Maybe Type 053H3 or Type 054 are coming to BN. Bangladesh increasing its naval fire power faster to protect total 118,813 square km of sea waters. China helping Bangladesh to build a formidable navy in the Bay of Bengal.  Bangladesh seeks more modern air-defence frigates and capable littoral combat warships. And those ships should be built locally in Khulna Shipyard and or in Chittagong Dry Dock Limited. This will give commercial off-set to Bangladesh.  In future Bangladesh Navy will be the second largest powerful navy with large fleet of surface combatants in the South Asia and one of the most powerful in Asia. Naval aviation with Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) is being shaped and sub-surface force started its journey with two chinese submarines.  Bangladesh has to protect it maritime boundary from illegal fishing, illegal human trafficking, ...

Russia offered Bangladesh Navy (BN) a totally new type of stealth frigate. Moscow also offered Bangladesh submarines, armored vehicles, missiles and many more. A high powered Russian delegation visiting Dhaka to discuss multi-billion dollar weapons deal with Bangladesh Armed Forces. Bangladesh Navy was lacks behind form operating Russian origin equipment from other two branches of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Now, after inducting two Chinese refurbished submarines Bangladesh Navy maybe going for new type of Russian stealth frigates. This is maybe the Admiral Gorshkov Class multipurpose frigate designed to engage with various types of threats. It’s a Project 22350 type frigate which Russia offering for export to the allied nations. Bangladesh Navy also building an air arm comprising various types of fixed and rotary wing aircrafts. BN already operating 2 Dornier Do-228NG Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), AW139 Maritime Search and Rescue (MSAR) helicopters, ordered two AW159 Wildcat ASW...