Pakistan Lays Keel for Navy’s 2nd Hangor-Class Submarine

Pakistan Navy laid keel of its second Hangor-class submarine on February 14 at the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW).

Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, attended as the Chief Guest.

The event marked a crucial step in the joint submarine development project with China. Under the defense agreement with China, four submarines are being built in China, while the remaining four are constructed at KS&EW. This is the second submarine laid at KS&EW, with the first one in advanced construction since December 2022.

The Hangor-class submarines, an export variant of China's Type 039A/041 Yuan-class, are part of an agreement signed in April 2015. The eight submarines are scheduled for delivery between 2022 and 2028. While specific details about subsystems and weapon systems remain undisclosed, experts anticipate the inclusion of the Stirling AIP system.

The completion of the Hangor-class submarines is expected to enhance Anti-Access/Area Denial capabilities in the region. Speculations about the submarines being outfitted with Babur-3 Submarine-Launched Cruise Missiles (SLCMs) suggest a future deep strike capability for Pakistan.