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Home > PNS Hangor


The PNS Hangor is a Pakistani Daphne Class Submarine which in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War made the first and only submarine kill since World War II, when it sunk the Indian frigate INS Khurki.

The Submarine was the Lead Ship of her class and was launched in France on 28th June 1968 and was inducted into the PN in 1971.

Its Captain Commander Ahmed Tasnim would be awarded the Sitaria -e-Jurat Pakistan's second highest military decoration. In an ironic twist of fate the submarine's executive officer Lt Cdr. Abaidullah Khan, also settled a longstanding personal score with the Indians, having been orphaned as a nine-year-old boy, losing both parents in 1948, during the Kashmir war. The torpedo officer Lt Fasih Bokhari would later command the Pakistan Navy.

Hangor sailed in the early hours of 22 November 1971 to patrol off the Indian Kathiawar coast under the command of Commander Ahmed Tasnim S.J.

On 9 December, in an effort to locate the evasive enemy, HANGOR extended her patrol northward to investigate some radio transmissions intercepted on her sensors. Two contacts were picked up on passive sonar and were identified as warships. The initial range was 6 to 8 miles. A pursuit of the enemy began but the first attempt to attack these ships failed due to speed disadvantage. The submarine however managed to forecast target ships movement and succeeded in taking up a tactically advantageous position on the path of the patrolling frigates by 1900. At 1957 the submarine fired a down the throat shot with a homing torpedo at the northerly ship from a depth of 40 meters.

The torpedo was tracked but no explosion was heard. The second torpedo was therefore fired immediately on the incomming southerly ship and this was followed by a tremendous explosion. The torpedo had found its mark. The other enemy frigate came straight for the submarine when a third torpedo was fired. A distant explosion was heard subsequently and the submarine turned west towards deeper waters for evasion.

As of 2004 the Hangor is still in service, however despite many upgradations it is scheduled to be decomissioned soon.

Submarines Military of Pakistan

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