Images have emerged on Chinese online forums showing a cutter on order for the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) berthed alongside for fitting out at the Huangpu shipyard in the southern Chinese port city of Guangzhou.

The ship is assessed to be the first of two 1,500-tonne maritime patrol vessels (MPVs) ordered in June 2015 by Pakistan's Ministry of Defence through the China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSTC).

The contract encompasses the construction of four 600-tonne, and two 1,500-tonne MPVs. The first three 600-tonne MPVs were built in China and have been delivered to the PMSA, with the most recent one being handed over in April 2017. Pakistan's state-owned shipbuilder Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) is building one vessel of each type locally.

Construction of the fourth 600-tonne MPV at KSEW is due to be completed by April 2018.

In January 2017 KSEW announced that it had commenced construction of the 95 m-long, 1,500-tonne MPV which is scheduled to be completed by February 2019.

From the recent photographs it is clear that the lead ship is under construction at China's Huangpu shipyard.

It is not known when it was laid down or when it was launched, but considering the evident progress towards completion, delivery by the end of 2017 or early 2018 seems likely. The ship has been given pennant number 143.

Photographs of the vessel fitting out at Huangpu show a gun installed forward of the bridge, likely to be 30 mm calibre, although definitive identification is precluded at present as the mounting is under wraps.

The ship also has a flight deck, though a helicopter is unlikely to be embarked as there is no hangar, nor are helicopters currently operated by the PMSA. However, a shore-based helicopter could land on the MPV if required, or from a Pakistan Navy ship.

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