New Delhi : The name Hangor is linked to a major event in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Pakistani submarine PNS Hangor sank the Indian Navy’s INS Khukri, marking the first wartime loss of an Indian warship since Independence. It is still considered one of Pakistan Navy’s biggest achievements. But the incident did not change the course of the war. India won a decisive victory, defeating Pakistan across land, air and sea, and helping Bangladesh gain independence.
More than five decades after the 1971 war dealt a major blow to Pakistan’s naval presence in the Bay of Bengal, the name Hangor is making news again. Pakistan’s first Hangor-class submarine, which was commissioned in China in April, reached Karachi last week. Senior Pakistani naval officers have since suggested that the submarine could be used for missions beyond the Arabian Sea, showing Pakistan’s plans to expand its naval reach.
A senior Pakistan Navy officer said that the submarine could help Pakistan maintain a presence in the Bay of Bengal, a region far from its own coast where its naval presence has been very limited since the 1971 war, when Pakistan lost East Pakistan, which later became Bangladesh. This statement shows Pakistan’s possible plan to increase its naval reach. It also comes at a time when Pakistan and Bangladesh are improving their civilian and military relations, and when countries in the Indian Ocean region, including India, are increasing their naval activities and competition.
After Pakistan’s defeat in the 1971 war, including against the Indian Navy, its naval activities have mostly stayed limited to the northern Arabian Sea. On the other hand, the Bay of Bengal has traditionally been an area where India has strong geographical and strategic advantages. The Bay of Bengal is important for India because it hosts the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam and is close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It has also become more important in recent years for trade in goods and energy between India and Bangladesh.
The Bay of Bengal is surrounded by many countries, including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. It has become more important in recent years because many countries in the Indo-Pacific region are increasing their naval power. Because of this, a recent comment by a senior Pakistani Navy officer has gained attention. According to the Sri Lanka-based news outlet The Morning, Commodore Omer Farooq, who is leading the team bringing the new submarine to Pakistan, said that the Hangor-class submarines could help Pakistan reach farther areas and keep a presence in the Bay of Bengal.
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