Overview
- Pakistan’s first Hangor-class boat, PNS Hangor, entered service Thursday in Sanya, with President Asif Ali Zardari and Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf in attendance.
- The $4–5 billion, eight-sub program splits work between four boats built in China and four assembled at Karachi Shipyard under a transfer-of-technology plan.
- Pakistan received a Type-039A training submarine from China to prepare crews for air-independent propulsion operations and new combat systems.
- The Hangor-class is based on China’s Type-039A design and uses air-independent propulsion to stay submerged longer and reduce noise.
- Analysts say the fleet strengthens a sea-denial strategy against India’s larger navy and tightens Pakistan’s military alignment with China.