Pakistan Navy Commissions Submarine PNS Hangor, First of the Hangor Class

The Pakistan Navy commissioned on April 30, 2024, in Sanya (Hainan, China), the PNS Hangor, the first submarine of the newly named class. The ceremony, presided over by the head of state Asif Ali Zardari alongside Admiral Naveed Ashraf, was presented by Islamabad as a "historic milestone." Organized in China, it underscores the extent of the naval partnership between the two countries and opens the operational phase of a program of eight units designed to transform Pakistan's underwater capabilities in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Concluded in 2015 for a reported amount of approximately $5 billion, the agreement covers eight submarines, including four built in China and four constructed in Pakistan by Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works under a technology transfer. According to the schedule provided by the Pakistan Navy, the integration of the ships assembled in China is planned by 2028. The first unit was launched in April 2024 before being commissioned into active service at the end of April during the Sanya ceremony, which brought together civilian and military delegations from both countries.