Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Cuts Steel for 5th Hangor-Class Submarine PNS TASNIM

Commemorating the Golden Jubilee of HANGOR Day, Pakistan Navy held a steel cutting ceremony for the fifth Hangor-class submarine, the first to be built indigenously in Pakistan at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW) on December 9. The Submarine would be named PNS TASNIM upon commissioning, in honor of ex-PNS HANGOR crew led by Vice Admiral (Retd) Ahmad Tasnim. On the occasion of the Steel cutting ceremony, the Chief of the Naval Staff expressed gratitude to all involved in construction activities and termed the occasion as another event of deepening relation between Pakistan and China. The Steel Cutting ceremony was attended by representatives of DA China and other high-ranking officials including distinguished guests from the Embassy of China in Islamabad, MoDP, Pakistan Navy, and KS&EW.

In April 2015, the Government of Pakistan approved purchase of 8 export version of Type 039B (Upgraded) from China for $5 billion for the Pakistan Navy. The deal was finalised on 23 July 2015. In October of the same year, it was revealed that four of the eight of the submarines will be built in Pakistan, with work beginning in both nations simultaneously. Pakistan’s Minister for Defense Production confirmed that the agreement included transfer-of-technology to construct the vessels. On 6 July 2015, Tanveer Hussain, minister of defence production, announced two projects for the construction of four submarines in China and four in Pakistan will begin simultaneously. Hussain added that a training centre will also be created at KSEW. In late 2016 it was officially confirmed that China will see about four submarines delivered by 2023 and the remainder delivered by 2028.

The Type 039A submarine (NATO reporting name: Yuan class) is a class of diesel-electric submarine in China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy. It is China’s first AIP powered submarine and presumed to be one of the quietest diesel-electric submarine classes in service. This class is the successor of the Type 039 submarine. The official Chinese designation is 039A as the ship is based on the 039 class, but as the 039A has very little resemblance to the 039 it is commonly referred to as the Type 041. The class is designed to replace the aging Type 033 (Romeo class) and the older Type 035 submarines that previously formed the backbone of the conventional submarine force. he Yuan class was primarily designed as “an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) platform capable of hiding submerged for long periods of time in difficult to access shallow littorals.

The in making HANGOR Class Submarine is capable to undertake war and peacetime roles as per Maritime dictates. The Submarine possesses advanced stealth features to operate under a multi-threat environment and its state-of-the-art sensors are integrated with Command & Control system which can simultaneously track engage several targets at standoff ranges. The 39B with a modified hull and redesigned conning tower with extrusion at the root of the conning tower in both the bow and stern direction, similar to that of conning tower of Virginia-class submarine. In addition, the bulge housing unknown sensor on board Type 039B in the forward section of the top edge of the conning tower is absent on the new boat launched in April 2014, but there are three white lines at the top of edge of the conning tower on both sides, presumably for environmental sensors.