Hangor Class Submarine | Updates & Discussion

Falcon26 said:
I think Pakistan’s nuclear research capacity is highly underrated. In fact, I would even rate Mansoor Ahmed’s ‘Pakistan’s pathway to the nuclear bomb’ as more important work than Eating Grass. Mansoor Ahmed is a young and brilliant nuclear strategist and his writing are always incisive as they are pertinent. I have followed him since his Pakdef days and he has never disappointed.
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Absolutely.

The US made sure to limit the potential of Pakistan's nuclear program by excluding it from the NSG and WA. This was a strategic move to keep our program under control, otherwise, it could have grown into a powerhouse.

Imagine having all this R&D capacity on one end, and lots of interested parties wanting to leverage it, be it for energy or defence, in the Gulf, Latin America, Africa, etc.

OTOH, we could've accelerated our own technical knowhow and capacity via NSG and WA access.

So, we have this two-way opportunity to leverage our technical expertise for commercial gain, and then build upon it for even more profit later.
 
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are these submarines are equipped with VLS?
 
Home » Pakistan Navy Launches Second Hangor-class Submarine in China
IMDEX Asia 2025

Pakistan Navy Launches Second Hangor-class Submarine in China​

  • Published on 17/03/2025
  • By Tayfun Ozberk
  • In News
Pakistan Navy launched Second Hangor-class submarine in ChinaPakistan Navy officials in front of the second Hangor-class submarine at the launching ceremony (Pakistan Navy photo)









On March 15, 2024, the Pakistani Navy conducted the launching ceremony for the second Hangor-class submarine, the future PNS/M SHUSHUK (Desig) at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Company Ltd, Shuangliu Base, Wuhan, China.​


Pakistan Navy press release


The launching ceremony of the second Hangor Class submarine, PNS/M SHUSHUK (Desig), was held at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Company Ltd, Shuangliu Base, Wuhan, China. Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.


While addressing the ceremony, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff highlighted the importance of maritime security in prevailing geo-strategic environment of the region, as well as Pakistan Navy’s commitment to safeguarding national interests and ensuring a safe and conducive maritime environment for all. He emphasized that Hangor Class submarines, equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, will play a pivotal role in maintaining the balance of power and maritime order in the region. Acknowledging the tireless efforts of China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company Ltd (CSOC), he expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress and underscored that the Hangor Class Submarine Project will add a new dimension to time-tested Pakistan-China friendship.


The Government of Pakistan signed an agreement with CSOC to acquire eight Hangor Class submarines during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan. Under this contract, four submarines will be built in China, while the remaining four will be constructed in Pakistan at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Ltd (KS&EW) under the Transfer of Technology program. These submarines will be fitted with cutting-edge weapons and sensors, enabling them to engage targets at standoff ranges.


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Launching ceremony of the second Hangor-class submarine (Pakistan Navy picture)

The launching ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials from Pakistan and China, including representatives from Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Company Ltd and China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company Ltd.

– End –


Naval News comments​


The Hangor-class submarines are an export variant of the PLAN’s Type 039B 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 KS&EW at the same time as the other four will be produced in China.


The initial plan was to deliver 8 boats 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. But, it seems like the program has been running a bit late as the first submarine was launched in 2024.


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 defence 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.

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Tayfun Ozberk​

Tayfun Ozberk is a former naval officer who is expert in Above Water Warfare especially in Littoral Waters. He has a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science. After serving the Turkish Navy for 16 years, he started writing articles for several media. Tayfun also offers analysis services on global naval strategies. He's based in Mersin, Turkey.

DEFEA 2025
 
Two have been launched so far with a hope third and fourth would be followed by in short period of time with max interval of 6 month each.
 
Faani83 said:
are these submarines are equipped with VLS?
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Hangor Class submarines do not have VLS.
Due to size constraints, small and medium conventional submarines do not have VLS.
The Hangor Class submarine is a Pakistani customized version of the PLA Navy's type 039B submarine.

The type 039B also does not have VLS, it uses torpedo tubes to launch missiles. This is currently the dominant method of launching similar submarines around the world.
1. The missile is loaded into a special waterproof launch container. This container is very similar to a torpedo.
2. The container with the missile is loaded into the torpedo tube, and the entire container is launched by firing the torpedo.
3. When the container surfaces and opens, the missile ignites and lifts off to strike the target.
Typically, a submarine will need to rise to periscope altitude (typically about 20 meters above the water) when launching a missile.
It shares the ready compartment and launch tube with the torpedo. Therefore, the exact number of missiles and torpedoes to be carried is determined by the submarine's current mission. At the same time, the size of the missile is limited by the torpedo tube.

Sources say that China is developing a mixed mode torpedo/missile. I.e., it could go underwater the entire time as a torpedo, or it could fly partly underwater with partly ballistic trajectory in the air or sea-skimming. However, there is no reliable official source for this information.
 
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