Pakistan Navy's first batch of Hangor-class submarines will enter operational service in 2026, according to Admiral Naveed Ashraf, chief of the Naval Staff. The eight-submarine program signed in 2015 includes four vessels built in China and four assembled at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works, with the first launched in April 2024 and second and third launched in 2025. Ashraf told Global Times the submarines and Type 054A/P frigates significantly enhance multi-mission capab