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KSEW To Undertake The Construction Of PAKISTAN NAVY Type 039B AIP Hangor Class Submarines After Major Expansion:

BY the Grace of ALLAH ALMIGHTY, Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EWS) to undertake the construction of PAKISTAN NAVY’s Type 039B Hangor Class Submarines after major expansion.

Major Expansion At Karachi Shipyard And Engineering Works (KSEW):

Major expansion is gearing up at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW). The newly built construction hall and a dry dock at the shipyard is evident that the newly built facilities are constructed to undertake the construction of CHINESE Designed Type 041 Yuan Class or Type 039B Hangor Class AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) Submarines.

According to the details, PAKISTAN has cut the deal for the procurement of 8 numbers of state of the art Type 039B Hangor Class or Type 041 Yuan Class Submarines from its Iron Brother and All Weather Strategic Ally, CHINA, back in 2016.

Contract of 8 Type 039B Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) Hangor Class Submarines for PAKISTAN:

According to the proposed contract, out of a total number of 8 Type 039B Hangor Class Submarines, 4 will be built in CHINA and would be delivered to PAKISTAN in 2023.

On the other hand, the construction of the remaining 4 Type 041 Yuan Class or Type 039B Hangor Class Submarines would be entirely completed in PAKISTAN at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW), Karachi, PAKISTAN. The construction work of the remaining 4 Type 039B Hangor Class Submarines would be completed by 2028 in PAKISTAN.

Significance of 8 Type 039 AIP or Type 041 AIP Yuan Class Submarines for PAKISTAN NAVY:

The addition of the 8 new AIP Submarines will not only help to double the size of PAKISTAN NAVY’s Submarine fleet, but it will also help to add much needed punch to the offensive capability of PAKISTAN NAVY against its arch rival, india.

The new submarines finalized by the PAKISTAN NAVY are basically the variant of CHINESE Type 039B Yuan Class Submarines. 

It is pertinent to mention that Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works is the premier and leading Ship Building Corporation of PAKISTAN that is already undertaking the mega projects, including the construction of TURKISH MILGEM Ada Class Corvettes. Furthermore, KSEW also participated in the construction of PAKISTAN’s French based Agosta Class Submarines.

Earlier in 2016, PAKISTAN NAVY authorities have previously selected the Submarine Construction Site named the Submarine Rebuild Complex (SRC) at Ormara. However, after passing 4 years no significant construction work is evident at the proposed site of Submarine Rebuild Complex (SRC) at Ormara, which clearly implies that PAKISTAN NAVY has finally selected the KSEW for the construction of PAKISTAN NAVY’s Next Generation AIP Submarines.

#PAKISTAN’s New Type-039B AIP Submarines: Image Shows Shipyard Expansion

The Pakistan Navy’s expansion is gearing up in Karachi. Major enhancements are evident at a shipyard, where a new construction hall and a dry dock greatly increase capacity.@OfficialDGISPR @dgprPaknavy pic.twitter.com/JznrVUJluE

— PAKDEFENSE.OFFICIAL (@PAKDEFENSE_COM) October 7, 2020

The newly built dry dock and construction hall are located at the southern end of the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) Site. The construction of the hall was first started back in 2015. Now, the construction has been completed of the hall and the dry dock.

The construction of the hall has enough room to accommodate the construction of two Submarines in parallel.

The first work on the dry dock was first started back in 2016. The Dry Dock is designed by the Norway based Company Syncrolift and it is built out over the water. All the manufacturing sessions are likely to take place in CHINA.

All the first four Type 039B or Type 041 Yuan Class Submarines are expected to be completed, including the last four hulls to the year of 2028.

Total Area of Newly Built Dry Dock and Construction Hall At KSEW:

The total area of the newly built dry dock is 126 meters long and 32 meters across and it has a maximum lifting capacity of 7,881 Tons in total. This size is more than enough for Submarines and this dock would easily accommodate larger Submarines and frigate size warships in the future.

PAKISTAN NAVY and CHINESE NAVY are already working very closely, including the bilateral Naval Exercise involving the participation of Submarines and Warships of both iron countries, PAKISTAN and CHINA.

Construction Hall Near to SSGN PNS Iqbal Base:

One of the major advantages of the construction hall is that it is located very closely to the main submarine berths of PAKISTAN NAVY.

It is precisely located at the North of PAKISTAN NAVY’s Special Services Group (NAVY) (SSGN) base at PNS IQBAL. It is the same base, where PAKISTAN NAVY’s Next Generation X-Craft Midget Submarine is also based.

Benefit of AIP Submarine’s Transfer of Technology (ToT) For PAKISTAN:

The transfer of technology will significantly benefit the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works to build state of the art Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) based Submarines by utilizing the local resources.

#China–#Pakistan naval exercise ‘Sea Guardian 2020’ phase one caught on satellite images from January 2020 this year, the image echos the #chinapaksolidarity & its evolving military interoperability west of #India in the #ArabianSea #PLAN #PakistanNavy #IMINT https://t.co/7gafXjkY9Q pic.twitter.com/qkOQLnMdlk

— d-atis☠️ (@detresfa_) April 3, 2020

The Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) Technology is new and revolutionary technology and it is quite different from the French MESMA system installed on the PAKISTAN NAVY’s Agosta 90-B Submarines. 

On the other hand, the overall design and built of Type 039B Hangor Class or Type 041 Yuan Class Submarines are very much different and more conservative than the MESMA based submarines.

Weaponry Systems of Type 041 Yuan Class Submarines of PAKISTAN NAVY:

The under construction Type 041 Yuan Class or Type 039B Hangor Class Submarines are likely to armed and equipped with the lethal and dangerous weapon system based on PAKISTANI Missiles and systems. Apart from other weaponry, the under construction Type 041 Yuan Class Submarines would be armed with the PAKISTAN’s Nuclear Capable Sea Launched Babur Cruise Missile (SLCM).

The submarines would prove to be formidable guardian of Sacred Maritime Frontiers of PAKISTAN and they would also be potent custodian of PAKISTAN’s Second Nuclear Strike Capability against its arch rival, india.

Nevertheless, the inclusion of all these Attack Submarines will boost and take the offensive capability of PAKISTAN NAVY to the whole next level for the decades to come.