Big concern for India as Pakistan is rapidly enhancing its naval power, building Chinese submarines at Karachi shipyard

The Hangor-class submarine is equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors capable of countering various threats.

New Delhi: Pakistan is rapidly upgrading its navy, with assistance from China and Turkey. A recent satellite image of Pakistan’s Karachi port has confirmed this. The image shows the construction of a Chinese Hangor-class submarine at the Karachi shipyard. Pakistan is building this Chinese-origin submarine for its navy. This submarine is equipped with an AIP system, which allows it to remain submerged for extended periods. This technology will make it difficult for India to detect the Pakistani submarines.

What The Satellite Image Showed

According to an X post by open-source intelligence @detresfa_, “Imagery from Karachi Shipyard shows a new inflatable hangar opposite the main construction hall where Pakistan is building its Hangor Class Submarines, the structure could support the ongoing work & possibly signals significant progress in the build cycle.”

Imagery from Karachi Shipyard shows a new inflatable hangar opposite the main construction hall where Pakistan is building its Hangor Class Submarines, the structure could support the ongoing work & possibly signals significant progress in the build cycle pic.twitter.com/6e3JQ0NPPs

— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) December 10, 2025

This is also a major shipyard of the Pakistan Navy, used specifically for the repair and overhaul of submarines. This shipyard is located at Karachi port.

Pakistan Purchased Hangor-Class Submarines From China

Pakistan has purchased eight Hangor-class submarines from China. This is the export version of China’s Type 039 Yuan-class, named after the PNS Hangor, which sank the INS Khukri during the 1971 war. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine equipped with an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, allowing it to remain submerged for extended periods. This submarine is equipped with torpedoes and missiles like the Babur-3.

Features Of The Hangor-Class Submarine

The Hangor-class submarine is equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors capable of countering various threats. It is an export variant of China’s Type 039A/041 Yuan-class submarine. The first four submarines were scheduled to be delivered to Pakistan by 2023, and the final four (from KSEW) were expected to enter service by 2028. Pakistan has kept most of the information about this submarine classified. The Hangor-class submarine is 76 meters long and is capable of launching both heavyweight torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.