The first batch of Pakistan’s Hangor-class submarines, equipped with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology and built under a cooperation project with China, is expected to enter service with the Pakistani Navy by 2026. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy continues to trail both Pakistan and China, and is unlikely to induct a submarine with AIP technology before 2032.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf, chief of the Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy, disclosed the progress of the program in an exclusive interview with the Chinese state-owned publication, describing it as a big milestone in the China-Pakistan naval collaboration.
The Pakistani Navy chief also noted that the Type 054A/P frigates have greatly strengthened the Pakistan Navy’s multi-mission capability, particularly in air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and maritime surveillance.
“These platforms are playing a key role in ensuring maritime security in the North Arabian Sea and the broader Indian Ocean region, which is critical for the global economy,” he stated.
Heaping praise on the Chinese-origin equipment, Ashraf said it has proven reliable, technologically sophisticated, and well-suited to the Pakistan Navy’s operational needs. Additionally, he noted that the Pakistan Navy is focusing on emerging technologies, such as unmanned systems, AI, and advanced electronic warfare systems.
However, the Hangor-class submarine tops the list of all naval cooperation between the two sides. Named after the submarine (PNS Hangor) that sank the INS Khukri during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, the Hangor class submarine is an export variant of China’s Type 039 Yuan class submarines, which form the backbone of Beijing’s submarine fleet.
Pakistan inked a deal with China to acquire eight Hangor-class conventional submarines in 2015. Of these, four are being constructed in Wuhan, China, and the remaining four will be constructed in Pakistan at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Ltd (KS&EW) under the Transfer of Technology program.
These submarines will significantly enhance Pakistan’s naval capabilities through improved stealth, maneuverability, and firepower, enabling the Pakistani Navy to execute a wide range of operations effectively, as Admiral Ashraf noted in the past.
The Hangor-class subs are equipped with advanced sensors and modern armaments. Their acquisition aligns with the Pakistan Navy’s offensive sea denial strategy, which prioritizes the use of submarines and missile-carrying maritime patrol aircraft in naval warfare.
The submarine is expected to have enviable firepower, including heavyweight anti-submarine warfare (ASW) torpedoes and anti-ship cruising missiles (ASCM). However, some reports in Pakistani media, which EurAsian Times cannot verify now, claim that it will also carry a variant of the Babur land-attack cruise missiles (LACM) for long-range strikes, and potentially for nuclear deterrence.
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Notably, the addition of these eight Hangor-class submarines will significantly bolster Pakistan’s maritime capability in the Arabian Sea and the Western Indian Ocean Region (IOR) amid sustained tensions with its arch-rival, India.
Currently, all three of Pakistan’s French Agosta-90B —PNS Khalid, Saad, and Hamza—are powered by AIPs. Therefore, the addition of Hangor-class submarines will take the number of AIP-equipped submarines in the Pakistan Navy to eleven.
The AIP allows a submarine to stay hidden in the ocean’s depths for longer periods and, if necessary, reach its target quickly without disclosing its position. This is because the smoke emitted by a submarine’s diesel engines as it climbs from the ocean’s depths to the surface increases its chances of being detected by the enemy. However, by using the AIP, a diesel-electric submarine can recharge its batteries underwater rather than snorkeling to the surface, where it becomes vulnerable to detection. The AIP thus improves the submarine’s durability and stealth.
Unlike Pakistan, India has yet to induct a submarine equipped with an AIP, which could give Islamabad an advantage in the maritime domain. This does not augur well for the service whose role in the recent Indo-Pakistan conflict has been glorified by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.
As the Indian Air Force engaged Pakistan in the skies, the Indian Navy quietly stood on standby in the Arabian Sea, waiting for orders to launch a devastating attack. The order never came, and the conflict ended in a ceasefire after four days of intense fighting. However, the conflict has once again underscored that the Indian Navy, like the rest of the armed forces, must shoulder greater responsibility going forward.
India Far From Inducting An AIP-Equipped Submarine
India has been on a quest to modernise its submarine fleet by integrating AIP onto its existing Scorpene-class submarines and by constructing a new submarine in India with technology transfer from a foreign manufacturer under Project-75I.
There have been plans to retrofit the six Scorpene submarines with indigenous AIP technology developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with support from industry partners L&T and Thermax. The complex procedure, which requires the submarine to be cut in half, would be conducted with assistance from the French Naval Group, the manufacturer of the Scorpene submarine.
The system has been planned for integration on the INS Khanderi, the second of the Kalvari-class submarines in the Indian Navy, during its scheduled refit in 2026. After this, the technology will undergo further testing before being fitted into the remaining Scorpene-class submarines. The project, sanctioned in 2014 and scheduled for completion by 2017, is moving at an abysmal pace and is eight years behind schedule.
In addition, India is pursuing Project-75I, which calls for the construction of six diesel-electric submarines equipped with AIP. In January this year, the state-owned Mazagaon Dockyards Limited, along with its partner ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) of Germany, was selected for the 70,000 crore ($8.5B) project. As per the plan, TkMS will supply the design and critical elements, and MDL will execute the project.
The submarine offered to the Indian Navy is a 214-class model tailored to India’s needs. However, some reports in the Indian media suggest that it will be a completely new design, which has triggered fears of delay.
Nonetheless, the upcoming submarine will likely feature a combination of a lithium-ion battery for high-speed cruising and a fuel-cell AIP for long-range endurance. This would allow the Indian Navy to traverse the whole Bay of Bengal while staying submerged.
According to experts, the Type 214 submarines have “superior technology” compared to the Hangor class. The Hangor Class submarines, with a submerged displacement of 2250 tons and a length of 74.9 meters long are heavier than the Type 214, which has a submerged displacement of 1,860 tons and a length of 65 meters. However, despite that, the Pakistani submarines are believed to be faster.
While the Chinese Yuan-class submarine on which the Hangor is based is powered by German MTU 12V 396 SE84 diesel engines, the Hangor has been equipped with the Chinese CHD-620 diesel engine, as the German manufacturer refused to supply the original powerplant. This is one of the factors that has led experts to surmise that the German submarine is far more advanced than the Hangors are being made out to be.
For the Indian Navy, which has a vast area of responsibility that stretches from the Strait of Malacca in the east to the Gulf of Aden in the west, the combination of a lithium-ion battery with a fuel-cell-based AIP system will result in a revolutionary capability. The Type 214 sub could stay underwater for extended periods, perhaps longer than the Pakistani Hangor subs.
Type 214 submarines are capable of reaching greater depths than Hangor Class submarines because Siemens’ hydrogen fuel cells with polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) enable deeper dives. Additionally, it can stealthily launch torpedoes via a water-ram expulsion system.
It also comes with countermeasures against torpedoes, such as underwater effector jammers, and has minimized acoustic, thermal, and magnetic signatures to enhance stealth.
The first submarine with 45 percent indigenous content must be delivered seven years after the contract is signed. After that, one submarine must be produced annually until the program reaches 60 percent localization. This implies that the first submarine will only be delivered in 2032, assuming there is no delay.
However, the project is still in the negotiation phase 10 months after selection, which means it could be a while before construction can begin.
This essentially puts India at a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis its adversaries, China and Pakistan.
China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is a formidable force with a fleet of 50 submarines, including conventional diesel-electric submarines and nuclear-powered ships like the Jin-class SSBNs, Shang-class SSNs, and Yuan-class conventional submarines.
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