The moniker 'Hangor' carries significant historical weight in South Asia. During the 1971 India-Pakistan conflict, the Pakistani submarine PNS Hangor successfully torpedoed the Indian Navy's INS Khukri.
This event marked the first and only time an Indian warship was sunk in combat since the country's independence, making it a legendary achievement for the Pakistan Navy. Despite this tactical naval strike, the overarching outcome of the 1971 war remained unchanged.
The combined might of the Indian armed forces across land, sea, and air delivered a decisive blow to Pakistan, ultimately leading to the creation of an independent Bangladesh.
Now, 55 years after the intense clashes that effectively eliminated Pakistan's maritime presence in the eastern waters, the 'Hangor' name is making a prominent return.
Following its commissioning in China earlier this year, Pakistan’s newest Hangor-class submarine arrived at its home port of Karachi in mid-June 2026.
High-ranking naval officials in Islamabad are already signalling that this advanced vessel will operate well beyond the country's immediate coastal defence zones in the Arabian Sea.
A top-tier Pakistan Navy officer recently disclosed that the induction of this modern submarine will enable Islamabad to re-establish a strategic foothold in the Bay of Bengal.
Since the devastating losses of the 1971 war—which resulted in the division of the country—Pakistan has maintained virtually zero presence in these distant waters.
This bold declaration of naval ambition coincides with a period of rapidly warming diplomatic and military relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
It also unfolds against a backdrop of intensifying maritime competition across the wider Indian Ocean, where regional powers, notably India, are continuously expanding their naval footprints.
Expanding Reach: Pakistan Eyes the Bay of Bengal
In the decades following the Pakistani military's comprehensive defeat by Indian forces in 1971, Islamabad's naval operations have been largely confined to the northern Arabian Sea.In stark contrast, the Bay of Bengal has long been a domain where India holds substantial geographical and strategic superiority. The region houses India's crucial Eastern Naval Command in Vishakhapatnam and encompasses the strategically vital Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Furthermore, the bay serves as a critical economic artery facilitating energy and goods trade between New Delhi and Dhaka.
Beyond bilateral trade, the Bay of Bengal—bordered by India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka—has grown into a focal point of global geopolitics.
This heightened importance is driven by the steady rise of competing naval forces asserting their influence throughout the broader Indo-Pacific region.
Given this context, recent statements made by a senior Pakistani naval commander during a stopover in Sri Lanka carry immense strategic weight.
As reported by the Colombo-based newspaper The Morning, Commodore Omer Farooq—who commanded the flotilla escorting the new submarine from China to Karachi—stated that the Hangor-class will grant Pakistan the necessary endurance to sustain operations in the Bay of Bengal.
Speaking aboard the Pakistani frigate PNS Taimur at the Colombo Port, Farooq hailed the new submarine as a "game changer." He also confirmed that the Pakistan Navy intends to induct a total of eight submarines of this advanced class.
Open-source data confirms that while the first four are being constructed in China by the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group, the remaining four will be built domestically at the Karachi Shipyard under a technology transfer agreement.
Prior to the arrival of the new PNS Hangor, Pakistan's undersea fleet consisted of five older vessels. This multi-billion dollar acquisition programme with China aims to completely replace Islamabad's ageing French-origin Agosta submarines.
Commodore Farooq’s remarks are a clear indicator that Pakistan is shifting its naval doctrine. Instead of focusing purely on coastal defence in the Arabian Sea, Islamabad is looking to project power across the wider Indian Ocean.
This outward-looking strategy inherently increases the likelihood of Pakistani vessels operating in close proximity to the Indian Navy on the open seas.
It is important to note the legal framework governing these waters. The Bay of Bengal is not owned by any single nation.
Under international maritime law, coastal states have total sovereignty over their territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles (22 km) from shore, and exclusive economic rights within a 200-nautical-mile (370 km) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Beyond these designated boundaries lie international waters. In these open seas, military and commercial vessels from any country possess the freedom of navigation.
Nevertheless, from India's perspective, the Bay of Bengal functions as a vital strategic backyard. It is the headquarters for its eastern naval operations, a hub for essential international shipping lanes, home to sensitive island territories, and the launchpad for New Delhi's wider Indo-Pacific strategic initiatives.
The Evolving Role of Bangladesh
The arrival of the new Hangor submarine and Pakistan's subsequent declarations regarding the Bay of Bengal are meticulously timed.They coincide with a remarkable thaw in relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh, a process that gained significant momentum during the interim administration of Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka.
For more than half a century following the brutal 1971 Liberation War, diplomatic ties between Dhaka and Islamabad were characterised by deep-seated hostility.
However, the abrupt collapse of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government in a 2024 uprising opened an unexpected geopolitical window for Pakistan to rebuild bridges with Bangladesh.
The rapid normalisation of ties has yielded immediate results. Direct commercial flights between Dhaka and Karachi have been restored after a decades-long suspension, with Biman Bangladesh Airlines currently utilising Indian airspace to complete the two-hour journey.
Following Hasina's departure, cultural exchanges have also flourished. Events such as Urdu poetry gatherings have been hosted at Dhaka University, and renowned Pakistani musicians like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan have performed in the Bangladeshi capital.
On the political front, interim leader Muhammad Yunus held multiple meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made an official visit to Dhaka.
This diplomatic push resulted in an impressive economic dividend: a 27% spike in bilateral trade in late 2024, followed by a 20% year-on-year growth by the end of 2025. The two nations have even signed memorandums targeting $1 billion in future trade and investments.
Military-to-military engagement has seen an equally dramatic upswing. In early 2026, the Bangladeshi Air Force chief travelled to Pakistan, meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and reportedly expressing interest in purchasing the jointly developed Sino-Pakistani JF-17 fighter aircraft.
Furthermore, armed forces from both countries recently operated alongside each other during the Aman-25 multinational maritime exercises.
The logistical barriers of the past are also falling. Direct maritime shipping routes between Karachi and Chattogram have been re-established for the first time since the 1971 conflict.
Additionally, Pakistani cargo vessels are now receiving preferential allowances at Bangladesh's Mongla port, and visa restrictions between the two nations have been significantly eased.
Historic Port Calls and Strategic Possibilities
This rapid succession of diplomatic, military, and economic agreements signifies a fundamental realignment in the historical relationship between Pakistan and Bangladesh.Consequently, defence analysts are evaluating the highly probable scenario of Pakistani naval assets becoming a regular feature in the eastern Indian Ocean.
The warming ties naturally prompt speculation about whether Bangladesh might eventually offer logistical support to a Pakistani fleet looking to expand its footprint in waters where it has been absent for decades.
A major threshold was crossed in November 2025 when the Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Saif docked in Chattogram for a four-day goodwill visit. This event was highly symbolic, representing the first time a Pakistani warship had officially visited Bangladesh since the 1971 war.
While there is currently no public confirmation that Bangladesh intends to grant permanent basing rights to Pakistani naval forces, credible reports indicate that Dhaka and Islamabad are discussing a formal mutual defence pact.
Such an agreement would permanently institutionalise military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and joint training between the two militaries.
However, regional dynamics continue to evolve rapidly.
The political landscape in Dhaka shifted again in February 2026 when Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), secured a landslide electoral victory and was sworn in as Prime Minister.
While Rahman's new administration must carefully balance its ongoing engagements with Islamabad, his government also presents a fresh opportunity for a diplomatic reset with India, which could heavily influence future regional naval dynamics.
The Strategic Value of the Hangor-Class
The induction of the Hangor-class represents the cornerstone of Pakistan's most ambitious naval modernisation initiative to date, aimed at reversing decades of maritime stagnation. The PNS Hangor, which arrived in Karachi in June 2026, is merely the vanguard of the planned eight-submarine fleet.These sophisticated, Chinese-designed submarines are heavily fortified with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems.
In contrast to traditional diesel-electric submarines that must frequently surface to replenish their battery reserves, AIP technology allows a vessel to remain submerged and completely hidden for weeks at a time.
This dramatically enhances their stealth capabilities and operational endurance far from home ports.
As previously noted, christening the vessel 'Hangor' is deeply symbolic.
The original PNS Hangor's 1971 sinking of the INS Khukri in the Arabian Sea resulted in the tragic loss of 176 Indian personnel, including Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla, who famously chose to go down with his ship and was posthumously honoured with the Maha Vir Chakra.
Although Pakistan ultimately lost the 1971 conflict, resurrecting the 'Hangor' name clearly indicates that the military establishment in Islamabad continues to revere that specific tactical victory. Yet, the balance of power in the Indian Ocean has transformed completely since the early 1970s.
Over the last fifty years, the Indian Navy has grown into a formidable blue-water force. Its current arsenal boasts nuclear-powered submarines, twin aircraft carrier battle groups, and an extensive network of long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
New Delhi maintains uncontested supremacy in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Ultimately, while Pakistan's new stealth submarines cannot independently alter the fundamental balance of power in the eastern Indian Ocean, their presence will undoubtedly serve as a strategic irritant for New Delhi.
This development comes exactly as India aggressively bolsters its own naval infrastructure and surveillance capabilities across the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago to secure its maritime borders.
