China launches Pakistan’s Hangor submarine, despite engine row with Germany

ISLAMABAD — The first of eight Hangor II submarines for Pakistan was recently launched at the Wuchang Shipbuilding yard in Wuhan, China, though it’s uncertain what could be powering the boat given Germany’s block on an engine export.

The initial Hangor II delivery timetable would have seen the four Chinese-built submarines delivered by 2023. But Germany had refused to approve export licenses for the MTU 396 diesel engine, which the submarine was designed to use.

The German government had also declined to grant export licenses for its engines in regard to Thailand’s order of the S-26T, a variant of the Chinese Type 039B submarine. The Thai deal eventually fell through.

Neither Germany nor Pakistan have confirmed whether export clearance was ultimately approved or denied.

The Pakistan Navy did not respond to Defense News’ inquiry about whether Pakistan had accepted China’s alternative proposal, which would see the locally made CHD620 engine power the Hangor II.

Still, Pakistan’s naval chief, Adm. Naveed Ashraf, attended the April 26 launch ceremony and “expressed satisfaction on the project progress,” according to a Navy news release.

The service is undergoing comprehensive modernization, having also acquired four Chinese-built Type 054A/P frigates — the most powerful and capable surface combatants it has ever operated.

But it’s the Hangor II submarines that will provide the Navy with a significant leap in capability, according to Tom Waldwyn, a naval analyst at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.

“In terms of undersea capability, the eventual inclusion of eight Hangor-class submarines, based on China’s Type 039A/B Yuan-class boats, will enlarge the fleet and be a significant capability improvement, particularly if they are fitted with long-range cruise missiles,” Waldwyn told Defense News.

“Pakistan has reportedly tested sub-launched , nuclear-capable cruise missiles, and the introduction of these into service would be far more significant to the strategic balance than a handful of new frigates,” he added.

Waldwyn was unsure where Pakistan may have landed in regard to the engine. But another expert told Defense News that the Chinese alternative might negatively impact the operational effectiveness of the submarines.

Former U.S. Navy submariner Aaron Amick, who runs the website Sub Brief, said while China’s exportation of “unlicensed copies of naval technology has come to be expected,” it’s not necessarily a bargain. Though the Chinese engine is essentially a copy of Germany’s MTU 396, he added, it is made with “inferior cast and shaped materials, assembled with inconsistent quality control standards, and works great for a short period of time, then requires near continuous repair after a few hundred hours of operation.”

Pakistani naval officials had previously told Defense News the Hangor II is a Pakistan-specific variant of the Type 039B. It is equipped with a Stirling air-independent propulsion system to increase underwater endurance. It also features a Pakistani combat management system, a towed array sonar and weaponry.

Usman Ansari is the Pakistan correspondent for Defense News.

伊斯兰堡——巴基斯坦建造的八艘“汉戈尔II”型潜艇中的第一艘近日在中国武汉武昌造船厂下水，但由于德国禁止出口某种发动机，目前尚不清楚该潜艇将使用什么动力装置。

最初的“汉戈尔二号”交付时间表是，四艘中国制造的潜艇将于 2023 年交付。但德国拒绝批准 MTU 396 柴油发动机的出口许可证，而该潜艇正是为此而设计的。

德国政府也拒绝向泰国出口其发动机，以支持泰国订购的S-26T潜艇（中国039B型潜艇的改进型）。最终，这笔泰国订单告吹。

德国和巴基斯坦均未证实出口许可最终是否获得批准或被拒绝。

巴基斯坦海军没有回应《防务新闻》关于巴基斯坦是否接受了中国的替代方案的询问，该方案将使巴基斯坦国产的 CHD620 发动机为 Hangor II 提供动力。

不过，据海军新闻稿称，巴基斯坦海军司令纳维德·阿什拉夫海军上将出席了4月26日的下水仪式，并“对项目进展表示满意”。

该部队正在进行全面现代化改造，并已购入四艘中国制造的 054A/P 型护卫舰——这是该部队有史以来最强大、最有能力的地面作战舰艇。

但据总部位于伦敦的国际战略研究所（International Institute for Strategic Studies）的海军分析师汤姆·沃尔德温（Tom Waldwyn）称，汉戈尔二型潜艇将为海军带来能力上的重大飞跃。

“就水下作战能力而言，最终纳入八艘以中国039A/B型元级潜艇为基础的汉戈尔级潜艇，将扩大舰队规模，并显著提升作战能力，特别是如果它们配备远程巡航导弹的话，”沃尔德温告诉《防务新闻》。

“据报道，巴基斯坦已经测试了潜射式、可携带核弹头的巡航导弹，这些导弹的服役对战略平衡的影响将远远大于几艘新的护卫舰，”他补充道。

沃尔德温不确定巴基斯坦在发动机问题上最终会采取什么立场。但另一位专家告诉《防务新闻》，中国的替代方案可能会对潜艇的作战效能产生负面影响。

前美国海军潜艇兵亚伦·阿米克（Aaron Amick）运营着网站Sub Brief，他表示，虽然中国出口“未经授权的海军技术仿制品已成常态”，但这未必划算。他补充说，尽管中国产发动机本质上是德国MTU 396发动机的仿制品，但它“采用劣质铸造和成型材料，组装质量控制标准不统一，短期内运行良好，但运行几百小时后就需要频繁维修”。

巴基斯坦海军官员此前曾告诉《防务新闻》，Hangor II 是巴基斯坦特有的 039B 型潜艇。它配备了斯特林不依赖空气推进系统，以提高水下续航能力。此外，它还配备了巴基斯坦自主研发的作战管理系统、拖曳阵列声呐和武器系统。

乌斯曼·安萨里是《防务新闻》驻巴基斯坦记者。