Pakistan receives first China-built Hangor-class submarine

The Pakistan Navy has received its first of four Hangor-class submarines being built at the facilities of China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Company Ltd (CSOC) in Wuhan, according to Naval News.

The agreement for the construction of eight submarines was signed in 2015 during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Islamabad. The $5 billion contract includes the construction of four submarines in China and four in Pakistan, along with a technology transfer component. 

Two additional submarines are currently under construction at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Ltd, while a second China-built submarine for Pakistan was launched in April 2026.

The Hangor-class submarines are an export variant of China’s third-generation Type 039A/041 Yuan-class diesel-electric submarines, equipped with air-independent propulsion systems that increase underwater endurance. The submarines are 76 meters long with a displacement of 2,800 tons. Their weapons and systems specifications have not been disclosed.

By Jeyhun Aghazada