Turkish state-owned defence contractor Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. (STM) announced from its official twitter account that it has won a contract for the mid-life upgrade of the second of three Agosta 90B-class (aka Khalid-class) diesel-electric attack submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion systems, currently in service with the Pakistan Navy. The twitter reads, “Capabilities of Pakistan Agosta90B Submarines enhanced by the main contractor STM through an amendment signed on 8 March”

The contract was signed in Pakistan by senior representatives of the Pakistan Ministry of Defence Production and STM last month, according to a company statement. Pakistan selected STM over French shipbuilder Direction des Constructions Navales Services (DCNS), the original designer and producer of the Agosta 90B-class, in a competitive bidding process in June 2016.

STM competed with French shipbuilder Direction des Constructions Navales Services (DCNS), the original designer and producer of the Agosta 90B-class and won the tender.