On 30 April 2026, Pakistan Navy commissioned its first Hangor-class submarine at Sanya, China, marking a watershed moment in the nation’s maritime defence. Built under a landmark agreement with China, the Hangor-class program will deliver eight advanced diesel-electric attack submarines equipped with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP), dramatically enhancing Pakistan’s ability to defend its coastline and safeguard vital sea lines of communication.
This new fleet carries a name steeped in history. The “Hangor” legacy recalls the legendary PNS Hangor (S-131), the Daphné-class submarine that stunned the Indian Navy in December 1971 by sinking INS Khukri—the first submarine kill since World War II. That act of audacity, led by Commander Ahmad Tasnim, remains etched in naval history as a moment when “the hunter became the hunted.”
Program Scope and Delivery Timeline
The Hangor-class program, valued at US$4–5 billion, is one of China’s largest defence export contracts.
Total units: 8 submarines.
Construction split: 4 built in China, 4 assembled at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW) under transfer of technology.
Delivery schedule:
PNS Hangor – launched April 2024, commissioned April 2026.
PNS Shushuk – launched March 2025.
PNS Mangro – launched August 2025.
PNS Ghazi – launched December 2025.
Remaining four units to be delivered by 2030, ensuring phased induction and operational readiness.
This phased approach allows Pakistan Navy to absorb new technologies, train successive crews, and build domestic expertise in submarine construction and sustainment.
Technical Parameters
The Hangor-class submarines are based on the Chinese Type-039A Yuan-class, adapted for Pakistan’s requirements.
Displacement: ~2,800 tons submerged.
Length: ~76 meters; Beam: 8.4 meters.
Speed: 20 knots; Range: ~2,000 nautical miles.
Crew complement: ~36 officers and sailors.
Armament: Six 533 mm torpedo tubes capable of launching heavyweight torpedoes, anti-ship cruise missiles, and potentially the Babur-III submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM), giving Pakistan a credible second-strike capability.
Training and Induction
To prepare for induction, Pakistan received one Type-039A submarine from China gratis for crew training. This allowed Pakistani submariners to acclimate to AIP operations, stealth tactics, and advanced combat systems.
Karachi Shipyard has expanded its infrastructure—new construction halls, drydock facilities, and Syncrolift systems—to support domestic assembly and long-term sustainment. This transfer of technology ensures Pakistan will not only operate but also maintain and eventually upgrade its submarine fleet indigenously.
Strategic Impact
The Hangor-class submarines significantly enhance Pakistan Navy’s potential in several dimensions:
Sea-denial capability: By operating undetected in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, these submarines can deter hostile surface fleets.
Protection of Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs): Pakistan’s trade and energy lifelines, particularly through Gwadar and Karachi, gain robust protection.
Strategic deterrence: With Babur-III integration, Pakistan strengthens its nuclear second-strike capability, ensuring survivability in a crisis.
Industrial growth: Transfer of technology builds indigenous expertise, reducing reliance on foreign maintenance and fostering defence industrial autonomy.
The Historical Legacy of PNS Hangor
The commissioning of the Hangor-class submarines is not merely a technological milestone—it is a tribute to the valour of the original PNS Hangor.
As recorded in naval history, “Fifty-five years ago, on 9th December 1971, Pakistan Navy’s Daphné-class Submarine Hangor created history, when it sank Indian Navy’s Type 14 frigate Khukri off the coast of Diu, Gujarat, India. Eighteen officers including Khukri’s captain, Mahendra Nath Mulla, and 176 sailors were lost in the sinking.”
Commander Ahmad Tasnim’s daring leadership turned the tide. Despite mechanical failures and overwhelming odds, Hangor struck decisively deep in Indian waters. The sinking of Khukri forced India to cancel “Operation Triumph,” its planned third missile attack on Karachi. For four days, the Indian Navy deployed hunter-killer groups, aircraft, and helicopters in a desperate bid to trap Hangor, but the submarine evaded pursuit and returned triumphantly to Karachi.
Renowned Indian naval strategists, Vice Admiral Mihir K. Roy and Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli, later acknowledged the shockwaves Hangor’s attack sent through the Indian Navy. Hangor’s saga of valour earned the highest number of operational gallantry awards ever given to a single Pakistan Navy warship.
Today, Pakistan commemorates 9 December as Hangor Day, celebrating the submarine’s unmatched courage. The new Hangor-class submarines inherit this mantle, embodying both tradition and transformation.
Conclusion
The commissioning of the Hangor-class submarines marks a renaissance in Pakistan’s naval power. With advanced stealth, endurance, and strike capabilities, these submarines will reshape South Asia’s maritime balance, safeguard Pakistan’s sovereignty, and honour the legacy of the original Hangor.
As Admiral Qian Xuesen once reminded us, “Science and technology are the primary productive forces.” Pakistan Navy’s Hangor-class exemplifies this dictum—transforming a proud legacy into a formidable future.
Equally resonant is the wisdom of Admiral Zheng He, the Ming dynasty mariner whose voyages epitomized China’s maritime vision: “We have traversed more than one hundred thousand li of immense water spaces… and sown peace across the seas.” This spirit of maritime exploration and security finds new expression in the Hangor-class, where tradition and technology converge to secure Pakistan’s maritime frontier.
From the lone submarine that humbled a superior adversary in 1971 to a modern fleet of eight AIP-equipped vessels, the Hangor name continues to symbolize resilience, audacity, and deterrence. The hunter that once became the hunted now returns, stronger than ever, to guard Pakistan’s seas.
The writer is a retired Group Captain of PAF, and now a security analyst