Pakistan has inducted its new Hangor class submarine built in China. This is the first time since the 1971 war and the creation of Bangladesh that Pakistan is attempting to establish its naval presence in the Bay of Bengal. Pakistan has received its first submarine, more than a decade after signing the submarine deal with China. This deal is considered to be the largest defense acquisition in the history of Pakistan. An agreement for the purchase of 8 Hangor-class submarines was signed between Pakistan and China during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Islamabad in April 2015. According to the agreement, 4 of these submarines were to be built in China and handed over to Pakistan by 2022-23. The remaining 4 submarines were to be assembled at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) by 2028. However, only one submarine has been inducted into the Pakistan Navy by 2026. The remaining three submarines being built in China – PNS Ghazi, PNS Shushuk and PNS Mangro – have been launched and are currently undergoing sea trials. This means that the target of handing over the first four submarines made in China to Pakistan by the stipulated time limit could not be achieved. It is now estimated that all 8 submarines will be delivered to Pakistan between 2028 and 2030. Large scale investment has been made in Karachi Shipyard for submarine construction. Under this, a new ship lift and transfer system has also been installed. Despite this, experts say that building a new submarine class is a very complex and time-consuming process. Pakistan has previously built the Agosta 90B class submarine PNS Hamza, which was inducted into the Navy in 2008. But the Hangar-class project is much bigger than that in terms of size, cost and technology. The estimated cost of the Hangor-class submarine program is 4 to 5 billion dollars (about Rs 34 to 43 thousand crores). This is the reason why it is considered the most expensive naval program in the history of Pakistan.
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वर्ल्ड अपडेट्स: चीन ने पाकिस्तान के साथ 8 पनडुब्बी सौदा किया था , 11 साल बाद मिली पहली पनडुब्बी
