# Pakistan commissions its first Hangor-class submarine in China
Pakistan’s navy has commissioned its first Hangor-class submarine, PNS/M Hangor, at a ceremony in Sanya, China, in a development presented by officials as a milestone in the country’s naval modernization.
According to Daily Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari attended the commissioning as chief guest, while Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf was also present. The ceremony placed the new submarine at the center of a broader message about Pakistan’s maritime posture and its defense relationship with China.
In remarks reported at the event, Zardari described the commissioning as a historic moment for Pakistan Navy modernization and said Pakistan remained capable of defending its sovereignty, protecting its maritime interests and safeguarding its economic lifelines. The naval chief, meanwhile, linked the new platform to the pressures facing sea lanes and maritime chokepoints, saying such disruptions increasingly threaten global trade and energy security.
Officials said the Hangor-class submarines are equipped with state-of-the-art weapons, advanced sensors and air-independent propulsion. That combination was framed as important for deterrence and for protecting sea lines of communication in the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean region.
The ceremony also leaned heavily on symbolism. Navy officials pointed to the historic place of the name Hangor in Pakistan’s military memory, noting that the earlier Hangor became the first submarine since World War II to sink a warship in 1971. The new submarine was presented as carrying that legacy forward into a modern fleet.
The commissioning is part of a wider procurement and cooperation story between Pakistan and China, with the report describing it as another chapter in the two countries’ longstanding friendship. Senior officials from Pakistan Navy and the PLA Navy were in attendance, underlining the bilateral character of the project.
The event came with political congratulations as well. Daily Pakistan reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir congratulated the nation and the navy on the milestone.
For Pakistan, the immediate significance is fleet modernization. For China-Pakistan defense ties, the significance is deeper: the commissioning publicly ties a new undersea platform to shared industrial, military and strategic cooperation. The navy’s messaging at the ceremony made clear that the submarine is intended not just as a new asset, but as a visible symbol of continuity between past naval reputation and current modernization plans.
