On 17 December, the fourth S26/Type 039B Hangor-class submarine (PNS/M Ghazi) was launched for sea trials, while the second of four MILGEM Babur-class corvettes (PNS Khaibar) was commissioned into the Pakistan Navy (PN) fleet on 21 December.
According to a press release by the PN’s Director General of Public Relations (DGPR), all four of the Hangor-class submarines built in China are “undergoing rigorous sea trials and are in the final stages of being handed over to Pakistan.”
The lead boat (PNS/M Hangor) was launched for sea trials in April 2024, while the second (PNS/M Shushuk) and third (PNS/M Mangro) boats set sail in March and August 2025, respectively.
The PN Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Naveed Ashraf, stated that the Hangor-class submarines will enter service with the PN in 2026. The four Chinese-built boats will join the PN fleet in quick succession or as a batch, thereby giving the sub-surface fleet an immediate capability boost.
The four remaining boats are being built at Karachi Shipyards & Engineering Works (KSEW), with the first entering production in December 2021, and work on the sixth began in February 2025.
Pakistan ordered the S26 from China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. Ltd (CSOC) in 2015 as part of a multibillion-dollar deal that included technology transfer (ToT) for domestic production.
Initially, all eight boats were scheduled for delivery to the PN by 2028. However, pandemic-related delays and Germany’s refusal to issue export permits for the original MTU diesel engine pushed the procurement program by several years, likely into the early 2030s.
As for the Babur-class corvette program, Pakistan ordered the ships from ASFAT A.S. in 2018 under a USD $1.5 billion deal, under which two of the four boats would be built locally by KSEW.
The lead ship (PNS Babur) was commissioned into the PN fleet in September 2024. While it has taken 15-16 months for the second ship to join the PN fleet, the other two – i.e., the ships built under license at KSEW – are undergoing sea trials.
The follow-on program to the Babur-class corvette – i.e., the Jinnah-class frigate – has also commenced with the PN signing a contract with KSEW to build the first vessel in November 2025.
Overall, the PN’s existing procurement pipeline appears to be on track, albeit slower than planned.
Reference Link:- https://quwa.org/pakistan-navy-news/the-wait-is-almost-over-pakistans-newest-chinese-built-submarines-will-soon-join-the-fleet-12-25-2025/