Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Company LTD, Shuangliu Base, Wuhan, China, hosted the launching ceremony for the second Hangor-Class submarine, PNS/M SHUSHUK. Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami attended the ceremony.
Vice Admiral Bilgrami underlined the importance of maritime security in the changing geo-strategic scene of the area whilst addressing the occasion. He underlined once more the Pakistan Navy's dedication to protecting national interests and preserving a stable marine environment. With their sophisticated sensors and armaments, he underlined that the Hangor-Class submarines would be rather important in maintaining the balance of power and naval order in the area. He also underlined the strong Pakistan-China defence cooperation and praised China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company Ltd (CSOC) for developing the project.
During the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan, the government of Pakistan inked a contract with CSOC to procure eight Hangor-Class submarines. Four submarines will be manufactured in China under this deal; the other four will be produced in Pakistan at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Ltd (KS&EW) under the Transfer of Technology (ToT) project. Modern sensors and weaponry will be included in these submarines to improve their capacity to engage targets at long distances.
Senior officials from China and Pakistan and representatives from Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Company LTD and China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company LTD attended the launching event. The occasion represents yet another turning point in Pakistan's attempts at navy modernisation as well as in strategic collaboration between Pakistan and China in defence manufacturing.
