Pakistan Commissions Aip-equipped Agosta 90b Sub

摘要

Pakistan has become the first country bordering the Indian Ocean to acquire an air-independent propulsion (AIP) submarine capability. PNSIM Hamza, the country's third and final Khalld-class (Agosta 90B) attack submarine, was accepted into service by the Pakistan Navy on 26 September, some nine months behind schedule. Hamza was built at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works under the supervision of French shipbuilder DCNS and launched in August 2006. At that time, commissioning was anticipated in December 2007. Unlike the first two boats in the class, it is fitted with a 200 kW MES-MA liquid oxygen AIP system that quadruples the submerged endurance at 4 kt. The new machinery required an 8.6 m extension to the original 67.6 m-long hull and dived displacement was also increased, from 1,760 tons to 1,980 tons.