The Pakistan Navy commissioned its first HANGOR-class submarine, PNS/M HANGOR, during a ceremony held in Sanya, China. President Asif Ali Zardari attended the event as chief guest, while Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf was also present.
President Zardari described the induction as a historic milestone in the navy’s modernization and reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to maintain a robust, balanced, and credible defence posture. He said the country is fully capable of defending its sovereignty, protecting maritime interests, and ensuring the security of its economic lifelines.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf said disruptions at critical maritime choke points are increasingly threatening global trade and energy security. He said maintaining a stable, rule-based maritime order requires technologically advanced naval forces.
He said the HANGOR-class submarines, equipped with modern weapons, advanced sensors, and air independent propulsion systems, will play a key role in deterrence and in securing sea lines of communication across the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean region.
The naval chief said the name HANGOR holds significant historical importance, recalling that in 1971 a submarine with the same name became the first since World War II to sink a warship. He said the new submarine will carry forward that legacy while strengthening Pakistan’s maritime defence and modernizing the fleet.
The commissioning was described as another step in Pakistan-China defence cooperation. The ceremony was attended by senior officials of the Pakistan Navy and the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
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