• Commissioning ceremony held in China
• Hangor-class submarines can remain submerged for longer periods, operate over greater distances
• PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir congratulate nation, navy on ‘historic milestone’

KARACHI: The commis­­­sioning ceremony of the first Hangor-class atta­­ck submarine, PNS Han­gor, was held in China’s Sanya city, with President Asif Ali Zardari and the naval chief attending the event.

President Zardari, who is on a visit to China, participated as the chief guest, while Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nave­­ed Ashraf was also present, according to a press release by Pakistan Navy.

President Zardari des­cribed the commissioning of Hangor as a historic mil­esto­­ne in the navy’s modernisation, affir­m­­ing Pak­istan’s resolve to maintain a “rob­­ust, balanced and credible defence posture”.

He affirmed that Pakis­tan was fully capable of defending its sovereignty, protecting its maritime interests and ensuring the security of its economic lifelines.

“The advanced submarine strengthens Pakis­ta­n’s maritime defence, protects economic lifelines and reflects strategic partnership with China,” a sta­tement by the Presidency said.

The submarine class, na­­med after the PNS Han­gor, is a diesel-electric attack submarine with air-independent propulsion (AIP) technology, which allows it to travel over greater distances before resurfacing.

Meanwhile, Admiral Ashraf highlighted that disruptions at critical maritime choke points increasingly threaten global trade and energy security.

He noted that maintaining a “stable, rule-based maritime order demands technologically advanced naval forces”.

The naval chief observed that Hangor-class submarines — armed with state-of-the-art weapons, advanced sensors and AIP technology — “will be key in preserving maritime order and stability in the region”.

In its press release, the navy highlighted that the commissioning of the first Hangor-class submarine marked “another chapter in the time-tested and en­­riching friendship betwe­­en Pakistan and China”.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir congratulated the nation and the navy on “achieving this historic milestone”, the statement said.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2026