Comment by Riaz Haq on October 7, 2026 at 9:03am

Pakistan’s Eight Hangor Submarines Could Strain India’s Navy, Former Admiral Warns

Former Indian vice admiral Sanjay Mahindru warns that Pakistan’s planned eight-boat Hangor fleet could force India to devote more ships, aircraft and sensors to tracking concealed threats.


https://defencesecurityasia.com/en/pakistan-hangor-submarines-india...


India’s Delayed Submarine Replacement Magnifies the Hangor Window
Pakistan’s first Hangor entered service eleven years after the 2015 order, while India’s Project 75I programme for six air-independent propulsion submarines remained unsigned by mid-2026, illustrating how acquisition tempo can alter regional risk before fleet totals decisively change.

Project 75I has spent roughly two decades in planning and negotiation, with German Type 214-derived proposals widely discussed, but even a near-term contract would likely place the first completed Indian submarine around 2032–2033 under optimistic industrial and testing assumptions.

Meanwhile, several Sindhughosh-class Kilo and Shishumar-class HDW submarines are approaching retirement, creating a late-2020s readiness window in which hull availability, refit schedules, and crew pipelines may matter more than nominal Indian fleet strength displayed on paper

India’s six Kalvari-class Scorpène submarines provide modern conventional capability, but they entered service without air-independent propulsion, while plans to integrate an indigenous AIP plug during future refits remain subject to engineering validation, schedule risk, and availability costs.

This mismatch explains Mahindru’s “lost decade” description because submarine construction cannot be accelerated instantly; specialised steel, pressure-hull fabrication, combat-system integration, sea trials, certification, crew training, and dockyard capacity impose long lead times after political approval.Explore History

Simply ordering more boats would therefore leave an immediate surveillance deficit, whereas investments in seabed sensors, unmanned underwater vehicles, deployable arrays, maritime patrol aviation, and networked processing could improve detection coverage before new Indian submarines become operational.

India must also protect anti-submarine warfare availability by maintaining P-8I mission systems, stocking sonobuoys and lightweight torpedoes, expanding MH-60R support, and ensuring surface combatants possess reliable towed-array sonars, trained operators, and sufficient operational flying hours.

Force posture becomes central because sensors concentrated near major bases may leave patrol gaps elsewhere, while widely dispersed systems require secure communications, common acoustic libraries, automated correlation, and command arrangements capable of converting detections into timely operational decisions.ASW technology training

Pakistan faces parallel constraints, including Chinese CHD620 diesel-engine reliability after German export restrictions blocked planned MTU engines, local construction delays, infrastructure expansion, crew generation, and the challenge of sustaining high readiness across eleven eventual AIP-equipped submarines.

The undersea balance will consequently depend less upon ceremonial commissioning totals than deployable boats, trained crews, maintenance throughput, weapon readiness, sensor integration, and each navy’s ability to regenerate patrols after failures, losses, or prolonged wartime operations.

(CLICK HERE): India’s 200-Warship Surge Targets China as Pakistan’s Hangor Submarines Reshape the Indian Ocean
Underwater Domain Awareness Will Decide Whether Hangor Changes the Balance
Mahindru’s proposed remedy places underwater domain awareness above platform-for-platform competition because a submarine that can be continuously detected becomes containable, whereas an unlocated boat can influence fleet behaviour, harbour activity, and political decision-making without firing a weapon.Submarine fleet analysis

Comment by Riaz Haq 8 hours ago

Pakistan’s Hangor submarine successfully fires anti-ship cruise missile in Arabian Sea weapon test

https://www.arabnews.pk/pakistan/pakistans-hangor-submarine-success...


Hangor engaged the designated target with precision, validating its weapon systems, combat readiness, operational effectiveness
The demonstration comes nearly two weeks after a collision involving Pakistani and Indian naval ships in the northern Arabian Sea

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy’s newly inducted submarine, Hangor, has successfully fired an anti-ship cruise missile during its maiden live weapon test in the northern Arabian Sea, the Pakistani military said on Sunday, describing the exercise as a demonstration of the vessel’s combat readiness and operational capability.

In June this year, Pakistan’s navy announced the arrival of PNS/M Hangor, the first of a new class of submarines being acquired under a major defense collaboration with China. The move is expected to strengthen the country’s maritime deterrence and undersea warfare capabilities.

​In a major demonstration of operational readiness, the submarine accurately engaged a designated long-range target with an anti-ship cruise missile in the North Arabian Sea on Sunday, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media arm.

Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff ​Admiral Naveed Ashraf witnessed the firing and praised the submarine’s combat power, emphasizing the strategic importance of enhancing subsurface capabilities of the force for credible maritime deterrence.

“Hangor engaged the designated target with precision, validating its weapon systems, combat readiness and operational effectiveness,” Pakistan Navy said in a separate statement.

“The successful firing marked an important milestone in the operationalization of PNS/M HANGOR and demonstrated the growing strength of Pakistan Navy’s subsurface warfare capabilities.”

The demonstration comes nearly two weeks after a collision involving Pakistani and Indian naval ships in northern Arabian Sea, which prompted both countries to summon the other’s top diplomat and protest it.

The collision occurred on Sept. 15 when Pakistan Navy was undertaking its biennial exercise SEASPARK-26 and an Indian vessel carried out “aggressive maneuvers in dangerously close proximity of Pakistani naval ship” that resulted in contact between the two vessels, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.

India earlier summoned Pakistan’s top diplomat over the collision, its external affairs ministry said, describing the incident as “unacceptable and unprofessional” and asking Pakistan to ensure its military units exercise caution.

This ⁠was the first overt military tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors since they engaged in a fierce, four-day military conflict last year that raised fears of a wider war before a ceasefire was reached.

Pakistan’s Hangor submarine is equipped with advanced combat systems, modern sensors, air independent propulsion (AIP) technology, and enhanced stealth features, according to Pakistan Navy. Its induction is expected to expand the navy’s warfare capabilities as it seeks to safeguard sea lanes and strategic maritime interests.

“The milestone underscores the Pakistan Navy’s commitment to maintaining a modern, combat-ready force to safeguard national maritime frontiers and regional peace,” Pakistan Navy said, following Sunday’s live weapon test.

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Pakistan has conducted key tests of its submarine-launched missile capabilities, most notably the Babur-3(SLCM) nuclear-capable cruise missile, as well as recent live-fire anti-ship missile tests from its newly inducted Hangor-class submarine. [1, 2, 3]

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