A shipyard in Wuhan, Hubei Province, has finished building the fourth Hangor class attack submarine that the Pakistan Navy ordered. The ship, known as PNS Ghazi, is nearing completion and will soon begin sea testing, opening the door for delivery in 2026.
This event highlights the progress made on a historic $5 billion defense deal with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company in 2015.
Eight cutting-edge diesel-electric attack submarines are part of the Hangor-class program, which aims to update Pakistan’s outdated Agosta 90B fleet and improve underwater combat capabilities. April 2024 saw the launch of the first submarine, PNS Hangor; March 2025 saw the launch of PNS Shushuk; August 2025 saw the launch of PNS Mangro; and on December 17, 2025, PNS Ghazi was launched.
Now that all four of the China-built vessels have been launched, they are undertaking harbor tests, systems integration, and navigation trials before going through full sea trials.
The Pakistan Navy’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, indicated in November 2025 that the program is going well and that the first batch of Hangor-class submarines will go into service in 2026.
These submarines are 76 meters long, weigh around 2,800 tons, and use air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems for prolonged submerged endurance. They are export versions of China’s Type 039B (Yuan-class) design. Six 533 mm torpedo tubes that can carry heavyweight torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and possibly the nuclear-capable Babur-3 submarine-launched cruise missile are part of the armament.
Under a technology transfer agreement, the remaining four submarines will be built at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW). The first local hull, known as PNS Tasnim, is already in the early stages of manufacture.
However, given that even mid-life improvements of current Agosta boats needed outsourcing to Turkey, Pakistan’s lack of experience in AIP submarine construction raises questions about timeliness and efficiency. Delays of two to three years per hull are predicted by defense analysts, perhaps delaying complete deliveries until the 2030s.
In the context of regional naval competition, the Hangor-class strategically strengthens Pakistan’s anti-access/area-denial stance in the North Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, making enemy surface and underwater operations more difficult.
In addition to combating India’s growing submarine fleet and advantage in anti-submarine warfare, this procurement symbolizes the strengthening of Sino-Pakistani defense links, including fighter jets, missile systems, and submarines.
Through workforce development and sustainability skills, the program seeks to accelerate domestic shipbuilding knowledge in addition to offering operational flexibility.
