Pakistan Navy floats out third Hangor-class submarine in China

August 18, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

The Pakistan Navy has held a launching ceremony for the third Hangor-class submarine, PNS Mangro, at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Company.

As disclosed, the ceremony took place on August 15, 2025, in Shuangliu Base, Wuhan, China. The launching ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials from Pakistan and China, including representatives from Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Company and China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company.

The Government of Pakistan signed an agreement with CSOC to acquire eight Hangor-class submarines. Under the contract, four submarines are being built in China, while the remaining four will be constructed in Pakistan at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW) under the Transfer of Technology (ToT) program.

The Hangor-class submarines of the Pakistan Navy are based on China’s Type 039A/041 Yuan-class design and represent a significant upgrade in undersea capability. Displacing around 2,800 tons, they are optimized for stealth, equipped with low-acoustic-signature hull tiles and air-independent propulsion (AIP), allowing them to operate underwater for extended periods without surfacing.

Their advanced sensor and sonar systems will support missions such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence gathering, and special operations. Each submarine can carry 38 crew members plus up to eight special forces personnel, enabling a range of tactical deployments.

In terms of armament, the Hangor-class is capable of launching heavyweight torpedoes and anti-ship cruise missiles, and it is expected to be compatible with Pakistan’s Babur-3 nuclear-capable submarine-launched cruise missile (SLBM), which has a range of approximately 450 km.

The first vessel in this class, PNS Hangor, was launched in April last year, while the second unit, PNS Shushuk, was floated out in March this year.