Pakistan’s New Hovercrafts Redefine Speed and Reach in Coastal Defenses

Pakistan Navy has inducted three British built Griffon 2400 TD hovercraft into its Marines, boosting mobility and rapid-response capability in the challenging Sir Creek and Indus Delta regions. Designed to glide across water, mud, and sand, these air cushion vessels redefine coastal defense by turning difficult littoral terrain into an operational advantage for patrol, interdiction, and amphibious missions.

Pakistan has taken a significant step in modernizing its coastal defense capabilities with the induction of three Griffon 2400 TD hovercraft into the Pakistan Marines, enhancing the Navy’s reach, mobility, and rapid response capacity in the challenging littoral zones of southern Sindh.

The induction, formally marked during Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf’s visit to forward posts in the Creeks Area on October 26, 2025, reflects the Navy’s broader modernization strategy focused on speed, versatility, and environmental adaptability. According to the Pakistan Navy’s official statement, these hovercraft will greatly enhance operational readiness in the Sir Creek region, where shallow waters, shifting channels, and muddy estuaries often limit the effectiveness of conventional patrol boats.

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Revolutionizing Mobility in the Littoral Battlespace

The Griffon 2400 TD hovercraft represents a British engineered class developed by Griffon Hoverwork, designed specifically to operate in shallow waters, tidal flats, and marshy terrain. Unlike traditional hull-based boats, it glides on an air cushion, allowing it to seamlessly transition across water, mud, sand, and vegetation an invaluable advantage in the mangrove lined creeks and deltaic zones along Pakistan’s coastline.

For Pakistan, the addition of these hovercraft bridges a long standing operational gap in coastal surveillance, interdiction, logistics support, and casualty evacuation. The craft’s ability to operate irrespective of tides or water depth ensures uninterrupted patrolling and quick response to security incidents, thereby improving maritime domain awareness and defensive flexibility.

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Proven Design, Modern Capability

The inducted units belong to the 2400 TD lineage, a proven hovercraft type that previously served with the UK Royal Marines. Following their decommissioning in 2021, the platforms were refurbished by UK industry under the supervision of Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) before being transferred to Pakistan in 2025.

This transfer allowed Pakistan to acquire a battle-tested and cost efficient capability, minimizing development risk and leveraging an existing logistics and maintenance framework.

In terms of performance, the Griffon 2400 TD is a compact Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) measuring approximately 12–13 meters in length, with speeds reaching 30-35 knots. It can carry a section sized element or 2–2.5 tonnes of cargo, depending on configuration and mission load.

While smaller than large scale amphibious platforms such as the U.S. Navy’s LCAC/SSC or Russia’s Zubr class hovercraft, the 2400 TD offers greater agility, lower operating costs, and suitability for confined and vegetated waterways. Its minimal wake generation and low ground pressure also reduce environmental impact and visual signature vital for covert operations in narrow creeks.

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Strategic Implications for Pakistan’s Coastal Defense

Strategically, the induction enhances Pakistan’s littoral warfare and rapid-response capability in one of the country’s most complex maritime sectors the Indus Delta and Sir Creek region.

This increased mobility enables:

• Anti smuggling and counter-infiltration patrols
• Environmental protection and disaster response
• Quick troop insertion and extraction
• Support for law enforcement and maritime security operations

By enabling forces to move swiftly between mudflats, mangroves, and shallow estuaries, the hovercraft reduce dependence on tidal cycles and expand the number of viable access points along the coast. This not only improves tactical flexibility but also complicates adversary planning, reinforcing Pakistan’s deterrence posture.

At the operational level, these hovercraft complement surface combatants, coastal surveillance units, and maritime patrol aircraft, forming part of a layered defense architecture along the Arabian Sea littoral.

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Procurement Details and Modernization Context

Although specific budgetary figures remain undisclosed, the UK government confirmed the sale of three former Royal Marines hovercraft to Pakistan, with refurbishment handled by a UK defense contractor in 2022.

The procurement fits within Pakistan Navy’s broader modernization initiative, which includes upgrades to coastal surveillance, new patrol vessels, UAV integration, and enhanced Marine Corps training. These initiatives collectively aim to ensure robust defense of the country’s sea lines of communication and critical coastal infrastructure.

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Turning Geography into an Advantage

Admiral Naveed Ashraf’s inspection and the hovercraft induction symbolize more than just a capability upgrade they mark a strategic adaptation to the country’s unique geography.

By fielding craft that eliminate the traditional divide between land and sea, the Pakistan Navy transforms the Creeks Area from an operational constraint into a zone of strength. This step demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to safeguarding maritime borders, protecting coastal ecosystems, and advancing national security interests in an era of increasingly complex littoral challenges.

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In essence, the 2400 TD hovercraft give Pakistan’s Marines not just speed, but reach a crucial advantage in defending a coastline where water and land intertwine.