Pakistan's first Hangor-class submarine conducts maiden anti-ship missile firing

Pakistan's first Hangor-class submarine seen here approaching a naval pier at Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia. (Royal Malaysian Navy)

Pakistan's first Hangor-class submarine has conducted its maiden live firing of an anti-ship missile.

A statement by Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on 27 September said the submarine, PNS Hangor, had successfully engaged a “designated long-range target” in the North Arabian Sea with an anti-ship cruise missile.

ISPR described the firing as a major demonstration of operational readiness and said it underscored the Pakistan Navy's commitment to maintaining a modern, combat-ready force capable of defending the country's maritime interests and contributing to regional stability.

The firing represents the first publicly disclosed missile launch by the lead boat of the Hangor class since its commissioning.

The Pakistan Navy plans to operate eight Hangor-class submarines, ordered under a 2015 contract with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company (CSOC).

Four of the boats, including PNS Hangor, were built in China by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group, now part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). The remaining four are being constructed at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works under a technology-transfer arrangement.

Hangor was commissioned in Sanya, China, in April 2026 and arrived in Karachi in June 2026 before entering operational service.

It is the first boat in a class derived from China's Type 039A/B Yuan-class diesel-electric attack submarine.

Imagery of the submarine released previously by the Royal Malaysian Navy during a port call in Kota Kinabalu indicates that the vessel retains most of the principal external design characteristics of the Type 039A/B family.

The submarine features a teardrop-shaped hull optimised for submerged operations, six bow-mounted torpedo tubes, sail-mounted diving planes, a cruciform stern arrangement, and a stern-mounted anti-countermeasure dispenser system.