The navy’s first Hangor-class submarine successfully conducted its maiden live weapon firing in the 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.
Newly inducted Hangor-class submarine conducts maiden live weapon firing: ISPR
The navy’s first Hangor-class submarine successfully conducted its maiden live weapon firing in the 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.