'A new dimension': Pakistan Navy chief on launch of Hangor-class submarine by China

In a significant development for the Pakistan Navy (PN), the country's naval warfare branch held a launching ceremony of the first Chinese-origin Hangor-class submarine in China on Friday.

Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Naveed Ashraf attended the launching ceremony as chief guest at the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group's (WSIG) Shuangliu Base.

The launching ceremony comes after China agreed to provide Pakistan with eight state-of-the-art advanced submarines.

Out of the total eight vessels, four are to be built by WSIG, whereas the remaining four are being built at KS&EW under the Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement.

The submarines, having advanced stealth features, are to be fitted with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors to operate under a multi-threat environment and can engage targets at stand-off ranges.

Speaking at the occasion as the event's chief guest, CNS Ashraf emphasised the importance of maritime security under the prevailing geo-strategic environment and the navy's resolve to ensure regional peace and stability.

The navy chief also underscored that the Hangor-class S/M Project will "add a new dimension to the ever-tested Pak-China friendship and shows strong military cooperation between two countries".

Friday's launch ceremony comes after Pakistan commenced the manufacturing of the 6th Hangor-class submarine by KS&EW in February earlier this year.

It is pertinent to know that Pakistan enjoys close military ties with China with their bilateral relations provisioning various arms imports by Islamabad from Beijing.

Last year, the PN inducted two newly built Chinese Type 054 A/P frigates.

Both countries had inked the contract for four multi-role frigates back in 2018. The first and second ships PNS TUGHRIL and PNS TAIMUR joined the PN fleet in 2022.