THIS is with reference to the letter ‘Challenge posed by Indian submarines’ (June 15). Earlier this year, the country inducted the advanced Hangor-class submarine into Pakistan Navy, marking a transformative leap in naval capabilities, replacing aging submarines with fourth-generation platforms designed for stealth, endurance and high-threat operations.
Operating in increasingly contested global sea lanes, especially in the Indian Ocean, the Hangor-class strengthens our maritime stability and ensures the protection of key ports and shipping routes.
The name ‘Hangor’ carries historical significance, honouring the PNS Hangor’s decisive role in the 1971 war when it sank Indian frigate INS Khukri, marking the first such submarine kill since World War II and elevating Pakistan Navy’s global standing. This legacy truely shapes the doctrine and morale of the new fleet.
In terms of weaponry, the Hangor-class is a veritable arsenal beneath the waves, allowing strikes against strategic targets deep inside enemy territory from concealed offshore positions, acting as a sea-based second-strike option that really complicates the targeting calculus of the adversary.
The sheer variety and, indeed, lethality of these weapon systems, combined with the extended submerged endurance, ensure that each Hangor-class submarine is not just a single platform, but a mobile, integrated weapon system capable of influencing the outcome of a theatre-level conflict.
