Newly inducted Hangor-class submarine conducts maiden live weapon firing: ISPR

AI Summary

Pakistan's navy successfully conducted the maiden live weapon firing of its new Hangor-class submarine in the north Arabian Sea, demonstrating enhanced maritime deterrence capabilities. The submarine is part of a strategic defense partnership with China and honors a historic naval legacy from the 1971 war.

The navy’s first Hangor-class submarine successfully conducted its maiden live weapon firing in the north Arabian Sea, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday. The Hangor-class submarine arrived at Karachi Port in June, underscoring the deepening strategic defence cooperation between Pakistan and China. Terming it a “major demonstration of operational readiness”, ISPR said the newly inducted PNS/M HANGOR accurately engaged a “designated long-range target with an anti-ship cruise missile” during the weapon firing exercise. ​Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf witnessed the firing, praising the submarine’s combat power and emphasising the “strategic importance of enhancing subsurface capabilities for credible maritime deterrence”. “The milestone underscores the Pakistan Navy’s commitment to maintaining a modern, combat-ready force to safeguard national maritime frontiers and regional peace,” ISPR highlighted. The name Hangor holds a significant place in Pakistan’s naval history, referring to the 1971 Pakistan-India war, during which then-PNS Hangor became the first submarine since World War II to sink a warship, when it sank the Indian frigate INS Khukri. The navy is set to induct a total of eight Hangor-class submarines.