Pakistan Navy’s New Submarine Records First Live Firing
Pakistan Navy’s PNS/M Hangor has reached a significant stage in its induction by carrying out its first live weapon firing in the North Arabian Sea. The exercise brought the newly commissioned submarine into an actual at sea weapons engagement for the first time.
The submarine fired an anti ship cruise missile at a designated maritime target during the exercise. The Pakistan Navy reported that the weapon successfully struck its intended target, providing an operational demonstration of the platform’s combat systems.
The firing comes only months after PNS/M Hangor formally joined the Pakistan Navy. The submarine was commissioned in China on April 30, 2026, and subsequently reached Karachi in June, beginning a new phase of its service with Pakistan’s submarine fleet.
Rather than being limited to routine trials, the latest exercise placed the submarine and its crew in a live weapons scenario. Successfully completing the engagement provided an opportunity to demonstrate the platform’s systems and the crew’s ability to operate them under realistic maritime conditions.
The Hangor programme is intended to introduce a new generation of submarines into Pakistan’s naval force, incorporating technologies designed to support stealth, endurance and underwater operations. The vessels also feature air independent propulsion, which allows submarines to remain submerged for longer periods without relying solely on conventional battery power.
For Pakistan Navy, the latest firing is therefore part of a larger process of turning a newly acquired platform into an operational asset. The successful engagement gives the Navy another practical milestone in evaluating Hangor’s capabilities at sea.
Pakistan Navy’s PNS/M Hangor has reached a significant stage in its induction by carrying out its first live weapon firing in the North Arabian Sea.
Pakistan Navy’s PNS/M Hangor has reached a significant stage in its induction by carrying out its first live weapon firing in the North Arabian Sea. The exercise brought the newly commissioned submarine into an actual at sea weapons engagement for the first time.
The submarine fired an anti ship cruise missile at a designated maritime target during the exercise. The Pakistan Navy reported that the weapon successfully struck its intended target, providing an operational demonstration of the platform’s combat systems.
The firing comes only months after PNS/M Hangor formally joined the Pakistan Navy. The submarine was commissioned in China on April 30, 2026, and subsequently reached Karachi in June, beginning a new phase of its service with Pakistan’s submarine fleet.
Rather than being limited to routine trials, the latest exercise placed the submarine and its crew in a live weapons scenario. Successfully completing the engagement provided an opportunity to demonstrate the platform’s systems and the crew’s ability to operate them under realistic maritime conditions.
The Hangor programme is intended to introduce a new generation of submarines into Pakistan’s naval force, incorporating technologies designed to support stealth, endurance and underwater operations. The vessels also feature air independent propulsion, which allows submarines to remain submerged for longer periods without relying solely on conventional battery power.
For Pakistan Navy, the latest firing is therefore part of a larger process of turning a newly acquired platform into an operational asset. The successful engagement gives the Navy another practical milestone in evaluating Hangor’s capabilities at sea.
