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Karachi Shipbuilding Boom Expected With Pakistan Navy Modernization
Pakistan is launching domestic construction of warships, submarines and missile boats as part of its ambitious naval modernization program in collaboration with China, according to media reports.
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Karachi Shipyard |
Chinese media reports have described a building program involving six of eight S-20 AIP-equipped variants of the Type-039A/Type-041 submarine under negotiation; four "Improved F-22P" frigates equipped with enhanced sensors and weaponry (possibly including the HQ-17 surface-to-air missile developed from the Russian Tor 1/SA-N-9); and six Type-022 Houbei stealth catamaran missile boats, to be built by Pakistan's state-owned shipbuilder Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW), according to DefenseNews.
Pakistan is expanding and modernizing its underwater fleet with 8 additional AIP-equipped submarines jointly built with China. Mansoor Ahmed of Quaid-e-Azam University told Defense News that AIP-equipped conventional submarines "provide reliable second strike platforms, [and] an assured capability resides with [nuclear-powered attack and nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines], which are technically very complex and challenging to construct and operate compared to SSKs, and also very capital intensive."
Expansion of KSEW in Karachi includes a new foundry, fabrication facilities to cover all aspects of ship construction, berthing facilities, and two graving docks of 26,000 and 18,000 dead weight tons, spread over 71 acres. A 7,881-ton ship lift transfer system will be completed next year. KSEW will expand to occupy facilities vacated by the Navy as it transfers from Karachi to Ormara. The Pakistan Navy Dockyard, which is adjacent to KSEW, already has facilities upgraded by the French during construction of Agosta-90B submarines.
The Pakistan Navy modernization efforts further expands existing China-Pakistan military manufacturing collaboration at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) which has resulted in design and manufacturing of JF-17 fighter jets for Pakistan Air Force.
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JF-17 Fighter Jet |
In addition to designing and building military hardware together, Pakistan and China are also increasingly collaborating on manufacturing consumer appliances and products. The Pakistan-China economic corridor project includes setting up of several special economic zones for this purpose. A good example of this cooperation is Haier-Ruba special economic zone in Lahore. Haier-Ruba joint venture in Pakistan has announced plans to start manufacturing laptops and smartphones in Lahore this year, according to the JV chairman Shah Faisal Afridi. The Haier-Ruba group is one of the largest manufacturers of polyester yarn and home appliances in the country.
The growth of both military and civilian manufacturing industries is helping to develop Pakistan's human capital and creating job opportunities for engineers, technicians and other workers.
Pakistan has taken a page from China's industrialization playbook which shows that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) led the nation's industrial growth, first with military hardware and then expanding into consumer and industrial product manufacturing.
Related Links:
Pakistan to Deploy AIP Subs For 2nd Strike
Pakistani Military Pushing Industrialization
IDEAS 2014: Pakistan's Arms Bazar
Pakistan-China Industrial Corridor to Boost FDI, Manufacturing and Exports
Haier Pakistan to Expand to Consumer Electronics
Riaz Haq
Defence Uncut | How Pakistan’s New Shark (Hangor) Aims to Push India Away from the Arabian Sea - Quwa
https://youtu.be/slyIheY2x3s
https://quwa.org/podcasts/defence-uncut/defence-uncut-how-pakistans...
In this week’s episode of Defence Uncut, we shift our focus to the Pakistan Navy (PN) and the significant strategic implications of its forthcoming Hangor-class submarines.
With China launching the third boat, PNS Mangro, the program is gaining momentum, setting the stage for a major evolution in Pakistan’s maritime posture.These submarines are not merely new assets; they represent a doctrinal shift, extending Pakistan’s defensive perimeter deep into the Indian Ocean and creating a formidable anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) challenge for the Indian Navy.
We also delve into pressing developments concerning the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), including its manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) plans, new electronic warfare (EW) capabilities, and the untapped commercial potential of its vast training expertise. Finally, we offer an analysis of the Pakistan Armed Forces’ procurement strategy, highlighting a persistent and costly lack of inter-service standardization.
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How the Hangor Alters the Pakistan Navy’s Submarine Strategy
The Hangor-class air-independent propulsion (AIP)-equipped submarines (SSP) will be the largest conventional submarines ever operated by the PN and among the most capable in the region.
Designed for open-ocean operations with an emphasis on range and endurance, the induction of eight of these boats signals a clear intent to project power far beyond Pakistan’s littoral waters.
While specifications for the Hangor-class remain classified, analysis suggests they are not based on the standard S26 export-grade design, but are instead seemingly aligned with the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) Type 039B Yuan-class submarines. This assessment is bolstered by the fact that the PN leased a Yuan-class boat for training, an arrangement not extended to other export customers like Thailand, indicating a much deeper level of system commonality.
The strategic objective appears to be a variation of China’s A2/AD strategy. By deploying these long-range, high-endurance submarines to India’s eastern and southern flanks, the PN can create a persistent threat that forces the Indian Navy to concentrate its valuable anti-submarine warfare (ASW) assets, such as P-8I Poseidon aircraft and MH-60R Romeo helicopters, closer to its own shores. This effectively pulls the bulk of India’s surface fleet away from the Arabian Sea, freeing up Pakistan’s operational space and safeguarding its vital western sea lanes, through which critical trade and fuel shipments pass.
A key technological advantage is the submarine’s Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system. The export version for Thailand boasts an underwater endurance of nearly three weeks without snorkeling. It is highly probable that the PN’s version, being based on the domestic Yuan-class, possesses a significantly longer AIP endurance. In a potential conflict, which could last several weeks, Hangor submarines could remain submerged for the entire duration of the war, presenting an unprecedented and resource-intensive ASW challenge for India.
This capability could be further amplified by the induction of the YJ-18 submarine-launched cruise missile. The YJ-18 combines a subsonic cruise phase for range with a supersonic terminal stage (Mach 2.5-3.0), making it incredibly difficult to intercept. Procuring and eventually producing this missile in-house would provide the PN with a long-range standoff strike capability, allowing the Hangors to threaten Indian assets from vast distances, further complicating any ASW effort.
Oct 19
Riaz Haq
Mansoor Ahmed Qureshi
@MansurQr
#BREAKING Big move for Pakistan’s maritime industry! 🇵🇰
China to build a world-class shipyard at Port Qasim. The facility will produce 6 ships annually, with Pakistan paying in rupees, not dollars.
https://x.com/MansurQr/status/1985437169834738038
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China eyes 1,000-acre maritime hub at Port Qasim to revive Pakistan’s shipbuilding
Project promises robotic shipbreaking, on-site steel processing, and vessel production seven times larger than current capacity
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2025/08/29/china-eyes-1000-acre...
Pakistan is set to offer 1,000 acres of land near Port Qasim to Chinese investors for the creation of an Integrated Maritime Industrial Complex, in what officials describe as the largest single investment in the country’s maritime sector to date.
Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Jawad Akhtar, told Wealth Pakistan that the ambitious project would transform the nation’s shipbuilding and recycling capabilities through robotic and technology-driven systems, ending reliance on outdated shipbreaking practices that have long dominated Gadani.
“At one time, Gadani was number one in the world for shipbreaking, but today it has fallen behind due to obsolete methods. This project will revive that glory,” Akhtar said.
According to him, the new complex will consolidate multiple maritime activities under one roof, including shipbuilding, shipbreaking, repair and maintenance, and recycling. Large docks are planned for modern dismantling and recycling operations, while re-rolling mills will be installed to process melted ship steel directly on-site.
Pakistan currently relies on imports of ship-grade steel due to limited domestic production. Once operational, the new facilities are expected to help the country meet its own demand, thereby saving precious foreign exchange.
Akhtar highlighted the scale of the technological leap, noting that the complex would enable the production of vessels seven to eight times larger than those built in Pakistan today. “Not only will the vessels be bigger, but the production timeline will also shrink by nearly 70 percent, with completion possible within a year,” he said.
on Tuesday
Riaz Haq
Turkish Century
@TurkishCentury
🇵🇰🇹🇷 Pakistan's Navy has reportedly inked a contract with the #Karachi Shipyard to begin the construction of the advanced #Jinnah-class multirole frigate!
Based on the #ASFAT AS3400 platform with full ToT (Transfer of Technology), the Jinnah-class is the most recent outcome of the extensive Turkish-Pakistani cooperation in #shipbuilding and naval systems engineering that is rooted in the #Milgem-PN program that gave the world the formidable #Babur-class heavy corvettes.
Jinnah is a highly advanced 3300+ton frigate customized for the unique needs of brotherly Pakistan with the goal of complete domination of the seas, as well as the sky above and the depths below. Armed with #antiship, #antiaircraft, cruise missiles as well as heavy torpedoes, it fully covers all aspects of littoral & blue-water operations, anti-ship/air/submarine warfare, and power projection in the high seas.
First steel-cutting is expected within a few months with plans to build a total of six (6) frigates.
https://x.com/TurkishCentury/status/1985985856453120185
yesterday