KARACHI: A significant milestone was achieved in Pakistan’s indigenous submarine development project as the Keel Laying Ceremony of the second HANGOR Class Submarine took place at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW).
Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, was the chief guest.
Under the defense agreement between Pakistan and China for the development of 08 x HANGOR Class Submarines, 04 submarines are currently under construction at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry in China, while the remaining 04 are being built at KS&EW under a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement.
This marks the second Submarine to undergo Keel Laying at KS&EW, with the first Submarine successfully laid in December 2022 and currently in an advanced stage of construction.
Addressing the gathering, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf expressed great pride in witnessing the Keel Laying of the HANGOR Class Submarine at Karachi Shipyard in collaboration with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. Ltd (M/s CSOC).
He commended the joint efforts and performance of the Ministry of Defence Production, Pakistan Navy, Karachi Shipyard (KS&EW), and M/s CSOC for their dedication to constructing these state-of-the-art Submarines. Admiral Ashraf emphasized that indigenization remains a top priority of Naval Headquarters policy, demonstrated by the construction of these submarines at KS&EW.
Earlier in his welcome address, Rear Admiral Salman Ilyas, Managing Director KS&EW, underscored Karachi Shipyard’s commitment to the national cause of self-reliance in submarine construction. He thanked the Ministry of Defense Production and the Pakistan Navy for their continued support and cooperation in realizing various projects at hand.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Embassy of China, M/s CSOC (China), M/s WSIG (China), as well as other high-ranking government officials, including distinguished guests from the Ministry of Defense Production and the armed forces of Pakistan.
