Pakistan-China Submarine Deal: China has transferred the third of eight state-of-the-art Hangor-class submarines to Pakistan, a development that highlights Beijing's increasing footprint in bolstering Islamabad's maritime presence in the Arabian Sea and the broader Indian Ocean. The submarine is an export version of the Chinese Yuan-class (Type 039A/B), launched at a ceremony in Wuhan, Hubei province, Central China, according to state media. This handover is part of a big defence agreement that was signed in 2015, where eight submarines were to be handed over to Pakistan by 2028. Of these, four will be manufactured in China, and the other four will be made at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW) with Chinese help. The second submarine was delivered in March this year, whereas the first one was delivered in 2024 due to some delays.

The commissioning of the Hangor-class submarine is at a time when China is expanding its strategic maritime presence in the Arabian Sea by developing the port of Gwadar in Balochistan and by frequent deployments of Chinese naval vessels to the region. Beijing has already delivered four advanced Type-054A/P frigates, 600 VT-4 battle tanks, a fleet of J-10CE multirole fighter aircraft, and even Pakistan's first-ever dedicated spy ship to Pakistan in recent years. Pakistan's Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Projects) Vice Admiral Abdul Samad, while addressing the launching ceremony, asserted that the submarine would greatly boost the nation's undersea warfare capabilities. "The advanced weaponry and sophisticated sensors of the Hangor-class submarine will play a key role in maintaining regional power balance and maritime stability," he was quoted as asserting.

Hangor-Class Submarine: Features and Capabilities

The Hangor class of submarines is named for the mythical PNS Hangor, which destroyed the Indian frigate INS Khukri in the 1971 war, the sole recorded instance of a submarine sinking a warship since World War II.

Important features of the Hangor-class submarine are:

• Displacement and Length: With a displacement of 2,800 tons and a length of 76 metres, the Hangor is heavier and longer than its Indian equivalent.
• Propulsion: Powered by a diesel-electric with an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) supplement, it can stay submerged for as long as 15–20 days—much longer than traditional diesel-electric submarines.
• Armament: With six 533 mm (21-inch) torpedo tubes, the submarine can launch heavy-weight torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and presumably the nuclear-capable Babur-3 submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) with a reported range of 450 km.
• Stealth & Sensors playwrights say the platform has enhanced stealth capabilities, advanced sonar suites, and long-endurance, though Pakistan has not made any public revelation.

How It Compares With India’s Kalvari-Class Fleet?

India has six Kalvari-class submarines, or the Scorpene-class, in operation currently, which were constructed at India's Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) under a technology transfer pact with France's Naval Group.
• Displacement & Size: The Kalvari displaces approximately 1,775 tons and is 67.5 metres long, shorter and more agile in shallow littoral waters than the Hangor.
• Propulsion: The Kalvari-class is diesel-electric powered. Although, unlike the Hangor, it does not yet have an AIP system. The Indian Navy intends to fit out the first submarine, INS Kalvari, with an indigenously built AIP system by 2024–25.
• Armament: Submarines are equipped with German SUT heavyweight torpedoes, Exocet anti-ship missiles, and can carry mines. There are also reports of future upgrades potentially integrating new-generation cruise missiles.
• Maneuverability: It is said by experts that the compact design of the Kalvari best positions it for operation in shallow coastal waters, which are commonly pivotal during high-intensity conflict scenarios.

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Both classes have few similarities like:

• Maximum speeds of approximately 20 knots (37 km/h).
• Diesel-electric power is the main source of propulsion.
• No vertical launch systems (in contrast to India's Arihant-class nuclear-powered submarines).

Although Pakistan's new Hangor-class submarines gain an edge in underwater endurance with the use of AIP, India's Kalvari submarines still possess battle-tested weapon systems like the French Exocet missiles. The increased displacement of the Hangor may offer greater endurance and payload, but possibly at the cost of reduced maneuverability in coastal waters where Indian subs gain a local advantage.

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The Hangor-class deal is not merely a matter of submarines; it marks China's desire to equip Pakistan with cutting-edge platforms as part of a larger maritime relationship in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). For India, this presents fresh dilemmas, given the Indian Navy has to juggle resources in growing its nuclear-powered submarine program alongside augmenting the Kalvari fleet with AIP enhancements. The two neighbours' rivalry now reaches beneath the waves, where speed, stealth, and strike power will determine whose undersea Indian Ocean battlespace.