Pakistan’s Hangor-Class Submarines: Quietly Redefining the Undersea Balance in South Asia

Reading Time: 5 minutes The undersea domain has long been the quiet but decisive frontier of naval power in South Asia. While surface fleets attract headlines with carriers and frigates, true deterrence at sea lies beneath the waves — in submarines that can surveil, threaten and strike unseen. Over the past decade Pakistan has methodically pursued that advantage, and with the emergence of the Hangor-class air-independent propulsion (AIP) submarines the Pakistan Navy (PN) is set to consolidate a substantial qualitative edge over its principal regional rival, the Indian Navy (IN). As of late 2025, Pakistan’s first Hangor-class boat has entered sea trials, the third has been launched and the keel of the sixth has already been laid. That tempo of construction is remarkable: by the time the programme reaches maturity Pakistan will operate eight Hangor boats plus upgraded Agosta-90B (Khalid-class) vessels, giving Islamabad a fleet of eleven AIP-capable submarines. India,