Pakistan Navy press release
Achieving another milestone in the indigenous submarine development project in Pakistan, the Keel Laying Ceremony of the second HANGOR Class Submarine was held at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW). Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf graced the occasion as Chief Guest.
As per the defense agreement between Pakistan and China for the development of 08 x HANGOR Class Submarines, 04 submarines are under construction at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry in China whereas the remaining 04 are being built at KS&EW under the Transfer of Technology (T o T) agreement. This is the 2nd Submarine to undergo Keel Laying at KS&EW. Earlier, in Dec 2022, Keel Laying of first Submarine was successfully undertaken and currently, it is at the advanced stage of construction.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf said that it is a matter of great pride to witness the Keel Laying of the HANGOR Class Submarine at Karachi Shipyard in collaboration with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. Ltd (M/s CSOC). He lauded the joint efforts and performance of the Ministry of Defence Production, Pakistan Navy, Karachi Shipyard (KS&EW), and M/s CSOC for the construction of these Submarines. Chief of the Naval Staff highlighted that indigenization is a top priority of Naval Headquarters policy which is being manifested by construction of these state-of-the-art Submarines at KS&EW.
Earlier during his welcome address, the Managing Director KS&EW, Rear Admiral Salman Ilyas highlighted that Karachi Shipyard is fully cognizant and completely aligned with the goals set forth by the Government and Pakistan Navy in pursuing self-reliance in submarine construction. These submarines are a testimony of our commitment to this national cause. He also thanked Ministry of Defense Production and the Pakistan Navy for their continued support and cooperation in realizing various projects at hand.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Embassy of China, M/s CSOC (China), M/s WSIG (China), and other high-ranking government officials including distinguished guests from MoDP and the armed forces of Pakistan.
– End –
Naval News comments on Hangor-class project
The Hangor-class submarines are an export variant of the PLAN’s Type 039A/041 Yuan-class submarines. Pakistan accepted the purchase of eight submarines from China in April 2015. According to the agreement, four of the submarines will be built in Pakistan’s KSEW at the same time as the other four would be produced in China.
The eight boats are scheduled to be delivered between 2022 and 2028. The Chief Director of the program revealed in August 2016 that the first four of these submarines will be delivered in 2022-2023, with the final four following in 2028.
The Pakistan Navy does not offer any details about the Hangor-class submarines’ subsystems or specific weapon systems. The Stirling AIP system is used in China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Company’s (CSOC) S26 design, on which many experts assume the Hangor is based, but Pakistani officials have not publicly revealed the propulsion system of Hangor-class subs.
According to the Pakistani defense blog Quwa, Hangor-class submarines will be 76 meters long and have a displacement of 2800 tons, making them slightly shorter but heavier than the original S26 design.
Currently, PN operates three Agosta 90B air-independent propulsion (AIP) submarines and two Agosta 70 diesel-electric submarines. Three Agosta 90B subs have been undergoing a mid-life upgrade under a contract signed in 2016 with the Turkish STM Company as the prime contractor. STM delivered the first upgraded submarine, PNS Hamza, in 2020. The scope of modernization is the replacement of the Fire Control System, Sonar Suite, Electronic Warfare System, Radar, and Periscope System (Navigation and Assault).
The eight Hangor Class submarines will significantly strengthen the Pakistan Navy. Pakistan is likely to improve its A2/AD capabilities in the region after the project is completed. Though no official confirmation has been made on the weapon systems, it is clear that Pakistan would obtain deep strike capability if the Hangor-class submarines were outfitted with Babur-3 SLCMs.
