Pakistan Navy has launched its fourth Hangor-class submarine, PNS Ghazi, at the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group’s Shuangliu Base in Wuhan, marking a pivotal milestone in Islamabad’s efforts to strengthen its undersea warfare capabilities and recalibrate its maritime deterrence posture amid growing naval competition in the Indian Ocean and the broader Indo-Pacific theatre.
The ceremonial launch concluded the Chinese construction phase of all four Hangor-class submarines under the landmark 2015 Pakistan-China submarine acquisition agreement, while formally transitioning the programme into a demanding phase of harbour acceptance tests and sea trials. These trials will evaluate propulsion systems, acoustic stealth, combat system integration, and endurance ahead of their eventual handover to the Pakistan Navy.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the launch was “another significant milestone” in Pakistan’s naval modernisation, describing the Hangor-class submarines as platforms “pivotal in maintaining peace and stability in the region.” This carefully phrased statement positions Pakistan’s undersea expansion as stabilising rather than escalatory, reflecting Islamabad’s strategic messaging approach.
The launch ceremony was attended by senior defence officials from both Pakistan and China, highlighting the deep institutionalisation of bilateral cooperation, which has evolved beyond procurement into technology transfer, industrial capacity-building, and shared operational philosophies. The event at Shuangliu Base, a hub in China’s submarine production ecosystem, showcased the industrial capability underpinning this complex programme, with images of PNS Ghazi entering the water rapidly circulating across official channels to signal progress and credibility.
PNS Ghazi follows the sequential launches of the first Hangor-class submarine in April 2024, the second in March 2025, and the third in August 2025, demonstrating a production cadence that reflects maturation after early delays caused by pandemic-era disruptions and system integration challenges. With all four China-built units now afloat, the programme enters its most technically demanding phase, encompassing extensive sea trials and combat system validation, expected to continue into 2026, with handover anticipated by mid-year.
The naming of the submarine as PNS Ghazi carries layered historical and symbolic significance. The original PNS Ghazi, a Tench-class submarine acquired from the United States in 1963, was deployed during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War and was lost off Visakhapatnam—a formative episode in Pakistan Navy institutional memory. Reintroducing the name “Ghazi,” meaning “warrior” or “conqueror,” signals that Pakistan’s contemporary undersea fleet is technologically equipped to operate decisively in modern, sensor-saturated maritime battlefields. As one defence analyst noted, “Naming the new submarine Ghazi is a nod to history, but it’s equipped for the future battles of the deep sea.”
The Hangor-class programme originated from the April 2015 agreement between Pakistan and China for the acquisition of eight diesel-electric attack submarines, valued at approximately US$5 billion—the largest naval procurement in Pakistan’s history. This agreement emerged from Islamabad’s strategic reassessment, which highlighted the growing asymmetry in surface fleet capabilities vis-à-vis India and identified undersea warfare as the most cost-effective and survivable domain to restore deterrence equilibrium.
The Hangor-class is an export derivative of China’s Type 039B Yuan-class submarine, designed for contested littoral and open-ocean operations where stealth, endurance, and multi-domain strike integration are paramount. Under the agreement, four submarines were constructed in China, while the remaining four are to be assembled at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW) under a structured technology-transfer programme, embedding indigenous industrial competence. This dual-track approach balances near-term capability acquisition with long-term self-reliance, ensuring Pakistan develops both platforms and the technical know-how to sustain and operate them independently.
Originally slated for delivery between 2022 and 2028, the programme faced schedule adjustments due to global industrial disruptions and the complexity of integrating Pakistan-specific combat systems, but it has now regained momentum. The Hangor-class designation itself evokes legacy, recalling PNS Hangor, the Daphné-class submarine that sank the Indian frigate INS Khukri in 1971—the first submarine-on-surface-ship kill since World War II—underscoring Pakistan Navy’s doctrinal emphasis on undersea lethality.
Open-source assessments indicate that the Hangor-class displaces approximately 2,800 tonnes submerged, measures around 76 metres in length, and incorporates air-independent propulsion (AIP), likely based on Stirling engine technology. This capability allows prolonged submerged operations, enhancing survivability and persistent presence in strategic maritime zones such as the Arabian Sea. Armament includes six 533mm torpedo tubes capable of launching heavyweight torpedoes, anti-ship cruise missiles, and naval mines. Critically, the submarines are integrated with Pakistan’s indigenous Babur-3 submarine-launched cruise missile, extending land-attack and anti-surface reach up to 450 kilometres.
Advanced sonar suites, including bow-mounted sensors, flank arrays, and towed arrays, along with electronic warfare systems and hull acoustic-reduction measures, allow the Hangor-class to operate effectively in heavily monitored and acoustically complex littoral environments. Within Pakistan Navy doctrine, these submarines are optimised for anti-access and area-denial operations, enhancing operational costs for adversary surface forces attempting to project power into Pakistan’s maritime approaches. Combined with upgraded Agosta 90B AIP submarines undergoing modernisation, the Hangor-class forms part of a layered undersea force architecture that complicates adversary targeting and provides operational redundancy.
The technology-transfer component remains transformative, positioning Pakistan as an emerging submarine-building state. As the final four units are assembled at KS&EW, advanced manufacturing processes, systems-integration expertise, and quality assurance standards are being embedded domestically. This initiative encompasses workforce training, infrastructure modernisation, and gradual localisation of subsystems, laying the foundation for long-term sustainment and future indigenous design initiatives. A Pakistani official noted, “The transfer of technology will not only boost our shipbuilding capabilities but also create jobs and stimulate economic growth,” reflecting broader industrial and economic spill-over benefits.
From China’s perspective, the programme reinforces its strategic partnership with Pakistan, complementing existing collaborations ranging from JF-17 fighter aircraft to missile systems, collectively enhancing interoperability and doctrinal alignment. Economically, the US$5 billion investment represents a significant commitment from Pakistan, justified by the asymmetric strategic value of a survivable undersea force.
The operationalisation of the Hangor-class is expected to recalibrate maritime balances in South Asia, particularly in the Arabian Sea, where Pakistan seeks to contest adversary naval dominance. Equipped with long-range cruise missiles and extended submerged endurance, these submarines increase Pakistan’s capacity to threaten high-value surface assets from stand-off distances, complicating adversary planning and enhancing second-strike credibility. Analysts note, “Armed with long-range anti-ship missiles, the Hangor-class would increase Pakistan’s ability to launch stand-off attacks against Indian naval warships,” underlining the deterrence calculus guiding the programme.
Beyond India-Pakistan dynamics, the submarines contribute to Indian Ocean security considerations, including safeguarding critical sea lines of communication and deterring non-state maritime threats. While some critics argue such acquisitions risk fuelling an arms race, Pakistan frames the programme as a stabilising response to existing imbalances rather than an escalatory measure. Challenges remain, including crew training, maintenance infrastructure, and fiscal pressures, yet the technology-transfer framework mitigates long-term operational risks.
By 2030, Pakistan Navy envisions a fleet of 11 to 12 modern submarines, with the Hangor-class forming the operational backbone. Future enhancements, such as advanced battery technologies and integration with unmanned underwater systems, could further augment platform relevance.
In essence, the launch of PNS Ghazi transcends a shipyard event, representing a strategic declaration that Pakistan intends to secure its maritime interests through stealth, endurance, and technological self-reliance. In the silent domain beneath the waves, where deterrence is measured in ambiguity and survivability, the Hangor-class submarines are poised to become Pakistan’s most consequential instruments of maritime power projection and strategic stability, signalling that any adversary seeking uncontested dominance in the northern Indian Ocean will face persistent, unpredictable challenges.
