Basit Ali
Research Associate Maritime Centre of Excellence (MCE)
Pakistan is on the cusp of yet further breakthroughs in its naval advancement as it ushered in a new era to induct the first batch of its Hangor-class submarines in 2026. Long-term strategic alliances between China and Pakistan are erected on Hangor-class submarines, and technology transfer has given Pakistan’s subsurface Navy a level of opacity that its surface fleet and airplanes will never match. The preceding PNS Hangor sank the Indian Kukri in 1971, a sign of perseverance, which is why Hangor got its name. The historic Hangor class submarines project is important because it seeks to balance the growing amount of maritime competition from the Horn of Africa to the Indian Ocean Region. Driven by India’s ambitious and assertive naval posture of acquiring Kalvari-class conventional submarines, the Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP) is installed on the diesel-electric Hangor-class which makes it advance than Indian aged old ones. The tactical durability of Hangor-Class submarines, strategic calculations, and the prospects for Pakistan Navy’s expanded role are all assessed in this opinion.
The development of Hangor depicts Pakistan’s Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy from the viewpoint of India’s enormous naval buildup. The conflict in May 2025 revealed the Pakistan Navy’s expanding role in averting any mishap by deterring the adversary. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement that the “road to Karachi is through Sir Creek” is one example of how India’s military and naval leadership has threatened to attack Pakistan’s land area through waters in the future. The next India-Pakistan flashpoint, as reported by a number of Indian naval commanders, would be the sea, where both navies would aggressively engage if hostilities escalated. India poses a serious threat because its Navy has aircraft carriers (INS Vikrant, Vikramaditya, and Vishaal will be the third), a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines (Arihant is currently in service, and INS Aridhaman and S4 are anticipated to be operational in 2026), and conventional submarines that will be equipped with cutting-edge AIP technology under Project-75I. India’s Project 75I, which aims to introduce AIP-equipped conventional submarines using an aging mix of 16 conventional submarines, is beset by multiple delays. To retaliate, India would likely review its anti-submarine warfare stance, enhance its sonar networks, and deploy helicopter ASW assets.
The inclusion of Hangor into Pakistan Navy’s fleet carries a profound strategic consequence in the strategic calculus of South Asia. For Pakistan, the Hangor class added to the country’s ability to project a sea-denial strategy that can disrupt or prevent an adversary’s combat operations in any conflict. The new submarines, especially Hangor-class, contribute to securing Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), protect critical shipping routes, and deter a possible blockade near its SLOCs. In this context, Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf observed that the Hangor would project Pakistan’s power across the Indian Ocean and enhance its operational role in securing nations’ maritime interests.
However, the induction of Hangor submarines added to Pakistan’s operational reach towards the Western Indian Ocean, which can monitor critical chokepoints. Pakistan Navy’s enduring role amid increasing hostilities as the war looms over the Strait of Hormuz and to counter the assertive Indian posture with its extended surveillance capability. In such an environment, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the adjacent maritime responses by Pakistan, such as the initiation of Operation Muhafiz-ul-Bahr, cannot be looked at as merely a localized measure but a wider arrangement for securing the country’s sea lanes.
Another crucial aspect is the China-Pakistan defense partnership, which not only strengthens its strategic foothold but also undermines India’s self-proclaimed dominance with Hangor stealth and strike capabilities. Gwadar hosted the bilateral China-Pakistan exercise “Sea Guardian IV” from 25 March to 1 April 2026, sea drills including air defense, submarine operations, and joint patrol. This close Naval cooperation underscores the importance of Pakistan’s maritime interests. Admiral Naveed Ashraf hinted at a future outlook into unmanned (UUVs, USVs) and AI-assisted underwater combat systems. With the inclusion of new Chinese Type 054 frigates and Turkish MILGEM corvettes, the Pakistan Navy is heading towards a long-term “Submarine Vision 2030”. The Hangor-Class project, therefore, is not merely a single procurement but a foundation for Pakistan’s broader maritime transformation towards technological autonomy, deterrence, and credible sea control.
Chaos in International relations is a permanent feature; the war in Ukraine, the Iran-US-Israel conflict, and the closure of Hormuz are all attributed to the changing regional security calculus. Pakistan finds itself at the crossroads amid the conflict in the Middle East, in such a fragile environment, “Operation Muhafiz-ul-Bahr” presents a beacon of hope for the country’s economy. Pakistan Navy’s role is becoming wider in its contribution to the economy, securing maritime interests, protecting critical shipping routes, and the Sea Lines of Communication. Hangor submarines’ stealth and strike capabilities would provide impetus to operate far from home, adding to their extended conventional deterrence to operate in war scenarios. While countering India and deterring its Naval buildup in the Indo-Pacific construct, Hangor would pose challenges to India’s aging conventional submarines. In the near term, Pakistan’s submarine fleet would go stronger by the day under “Submarine Vision 2030”, with the addition of emerging technologies into its fleet. Hangor provided Pakistan an edge to strengthen its sea-denial strategy and deterrence at the conventional level. In the long run, Pakistan’s successful launch of Submarine Launch Cruise Missiles (SLCMS), as well as the pursuit of acquiring nuclear-powered ballistic submarines (SSBNs), is critical for assured second strike capability and countering India’s expanding undersea and maritime ambitions.
