In an interview with China’s Global Times, the Pakistan Navy (PN) Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Naveed Ashraf said that the fleet will start getting its new Hangor-class submarines “very soon.”
Pakistan ordered eight modified S26 submarines from China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. Ltd (CSOC) in 2015 under a multi-billion-dollar package that also included four Type 054A/P multirole frigates and other naval vessels.
The CSOC S26 is a variant of the Type 039-series built for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), but meant for export. Since its introduction, the S26 was ordered by Pakistan and Thailand, though the latter may not take up its order, despite the boats being in production.
Under the deal, Pakistan’s Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) would manufacture four of the boats under a transfer-of-technology (ToT) program from China. According to the PN leadership in 2020, the Hangor-class boats would transform the PN into a “submarine-building navy.”
The original delivery timeline of the submarines was from 2022 to 2028. However, the project ran into delays due to various issues. The first of these was the fallout of the pandemic in 2020. The second, more significant setback, was Germany’s refusal to transfer diesel engines for the submarines.
However, the PN opted to stick with the program and waited for China to certify its domestic CHD-620 diesel engine, which would be used in lieu of the German MTU powerplant.
KSEW started constructing its four boats by cutting the steel of the fifth submarine in December 2021, with production of the sixth boat beginning in December 2022.
In April 2024, the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Company Ltd. launched the lead boat for sea trials. The CNS’ statements would suggest that the lead boat is nearing the completion of its test and, in the coming months, will join the PN fleet.
The Hangor-class submarine is a significant program for the PN–but not for the reasons many seem to be focusing on. Today, the discussion around the PN’s forthcoming submarines focuses around how the PN could use the boats for the nuclear deterrence role.
Don't Stop Here. Unlock the Rest of this Analysis Immediately
To read the rest of this deep dive -- including the honest assessments and comparative analyses that Quwa Plus members rely on -- you need access.
