Pakistan-Turkey AKYA Torpedo Talks Could Transform Hangor-Class Submarines Into South Asia’s Most Dangerous Underwater Threat

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Pakistan may be preparing the most significant expansion of its underwater strike capability in decades after reportedly opening negotiations with Turkey for the AKYA heavyweight torpedo, a weapon increasingly regarded among NATO’s most capable submarine-launched systems.

If the discussions progress beyond evaluation, Islamabad would gain not merely a new torpedo, but a long-range underwater strike architecture capable of complicating naval planning throughout the Arabian Sea and northern Indian Ocean.

The reported negotiations have generated immediate strategic attention because the AKYA could eventually arm Pakistan’s incoming Hangor-class submarines, a fleet already expected to transform the Pakistan Navy’s anti-access posture.

Regional defence discussions intensified after reports indicated the talks could include technology transfer, potentially allowing Pakistan to locally assemble, maintain, or eventually co-produce the Turkish-designed torpedo system.

Such an arrangement would further reduce Pakistan’s dependence upon single-source Chinese submarine armament while simultaneously binding Ankara and Islamabad within a deeper, long-term naval-industrial partnership.

The timing is especially significant because the first Chinese-built Hangor-class submarines are approaching sea trials and expected operational entry during 2026, creating an immediate requirement for compatible heavyweight weapons.

Turkish defence officials have not confirmed any agreement, while Pakistani authorities have likewise avoided public comment, leaving the proposal firmly within the reported talks and technical evaluation phase.

Nevertheless, the possibility alone is already reshaping regional debate because pairing advanced air-independent propulsion submarines with NATO-standard heavyweight torpedoes would substantially alter underwater deterrence calculations across South Asia.

If eventually integrated aboard all eight Hangor-class boats, the AKYA could provide Pakistan with its first genuinely networked, long-range underwater strike capability spanning both littoral and blue-water environments.

That prospect is already forcing regional naval planners to reconsider convoy protection, anti-submarine patrol patterns, and the survivability of surface task groups operating near Pakistan’s maritime approaches.

READ: Pakistan Navy Launches PNS Ghazi, Fourth Hangor-Class Submarine in China, Redefining Undersea Deterrence in the Indian Ocean

Why the AKYA Torpedo Matters Beyond a Simple Arms Purchase

Turkey’s AKYA is a fully indigenous 533mm heavyweight torpedo developed by Roketsan to replace older foreign-designed systems previously used aboard Turkish submarines.

Unlike earlier heavyweight torpedoes that relied primarily upon conventional sonar homing, AKYA combines active sonar, passive sonar, fiberoptic wire guidance, wake-homing, and autonomous engagement modes within one architecture.

This multi-layered guidance structure allows the torpedo to continue attacking effectively even when hostile warships deploy acoustic decoys, electronic jamming, evasive manoeuvres, or countermeasure bubbles.

Defence analysts increasingly regard AKYA as one of NATO’s most sophisticated torpedo solutions because it can operate against both surface vessels and submerged submarines within heavily contested environments.

The torpedo reportedly weighs between 1,200kg and 1,700kg, stretches approximately seven metres, and carries a 350kg to 380kg warhead designed for devastating underwater shock effects.

Its electric propulsion system uses a brushless direct-current motor, counter-rotating propellers, and high-energy chemical batteries, enabling high-speed attacks exceeding 45 knots over distances above 50 kilometres.

Such range provides a decisive tactical advantage because submarines can remain farther from hostile escorts, maritime patrol aircraft, and anti-submarine helicopters while still engaging distant targets.

A successful live-fire trial conducted from the Turkish submarine TCG Preveze during late 2023 reinforced confidence that the system has matured beyond prototype status.

Hangor-Class Submarines Are Already Central to Pakistan’s Maritime Strategy

Pakistan’s Hangor-class programme represents the largest submarine acquisition effort in the country’s history and forms the centrepiece of its future maritime deterrence posture.

The eight-submarine deal, reportedly worth between US$4 billion and US$5 billion, equivalent to approximately RM15.2 billion and RM19 billion, was signed with China during 2015.

Four submarines are being constructed in China, while the remaining four are scheduled for assembly inside Pakistan through Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works.

That arrangement already includes substantial technology transfer, meaning Pakistan is gradually building the industrial capacity required for domestic submarine construction, maintenance, and eventual modernisation.

The Hangor-class is derived from China’s Type 039A or Yuan-class design and incorporates air-independent propulsion allowing considerably longer submerged endurance than conventional diesel-electric submarines.

Each submarine reportedly measures roughly 76 metres long, displaces approximately 2,800 tonnes submerged, and carries six standard 533mm torpedo tubes.

Those tubes are technically compatible with heavyweight torpedoes such as the AKYA, creating a relatively straightforward integration pathway if negotiations eventually produce a procurement contract.

Pakistan intends these submarines to replace or reinforce the ageing Agosta-90B and Khalid-class fleet while strengthening maritime denial operations throughout the Arabian Sea.

Technology Transfer Could Be More Important Than the Torpedo Itself

The most strategically important aspect of the reported negotiations may not be the torpedo purchase itself, but the possibility of extensive technology transfer accompanying any future agreement.

Pakistan has increasingly sought defence partnerships combining imported weapons with domestic assembly, licensed production, software access, and long-term industrial participation.

An AKYA agreement including local assembly would fit that broader pattern already visible through Pakistan’s cooperation with Turkey on warships, drones, and naval electronics.

Turkey previously modernised Pakistan’s Agosta-class submarines, while both countries have collaborated closely through the Babur-class corvette programme based upon Ankara’s MILGEM design.

That programme demonstrated how Pakistan and Turkey increasingly prefer joint production arrangements instead of traditional buyer-seller relationships dominated entirely by foreign manufacturers.

If Pakistan obtains access to AKYA maintenance systems, propulsion technologies, guidance software, or warhead integration processes, it could eventually create an indigenous heavyweight torpedo capability.

Such an outcome would provide Islamabad with greater strategic autonomy because future submarine operations would become less vulnerable to embargoes, sanctions, or foreign export restrictions.

For Turkey, transferring advanced torpedo technology would also reinforce Ankara’s emergence as a major defence exporter whose international military sales recently exceeded US$10 billion, approximately RM38 billion.

A NATO-Standard Torpedo Could Expand Pakistan’s Underwater Reach

Pakistan has traditionally relied upon Chinese-origin heavyweight torpedoes, including reported variants related to the Yu-6 family used aboard existing submarine classes.

Although Chinese torpedoes remain important, Islamabad has periodically explored alternative suppliers because diversification reduces operational vulnerability and broadens access to different technologies.

Pakistan previously examined Italian Black Shark torpedoes before political complications and export restrictions disrupted the possibility of acquiring those systems.

The AKYA therefore represents something significantly different because it would introduce a NATO-standard torpedo into a submarine fleet otherwise built primarily around Chinese platforms.

That unusual combination could deliver operational advantages because Pakistani submarines would gain access to Western-derived guidance logic while retaining Chinese underwater endurance and missile-launch capability.

The torpedo’s wake-homing mode is particularly relevant because it can attack large surface warships by tracking the turbulence signature left behind their propellers.

Such capability would create a serious threat against destroyers, frigates, amphibious ships, and possibly aircraft carriers operating within the confined waters of the Arabian Sea.

Its active and passive sonar modes would simultaneously improve Pakistan’s ability to challenge hostile submarines operating in deeper waters farther from the Pakistani coastline.

The Arabian Sea Could Become Far More Dangerous for Rival Navies

The reported AKYA discussions matter strategically because Pakistan’s future submarine force is designed specifically for anti-access and area-denial operations around its exclusive economic zone.

By combining Hangor-class submarines, long-endurance air-independent propulsion, cruise missiles, and advanced heavyweight torpedoes, Pakistan could create a layered underwater threat difficult to detect or counter.

The northern Arabian Sea contains both relatively shallow littoral waters and deeper oceanic zones, making multi-mode torpedoes especially valuable because they remain effective across changing acoustic conditions.

AKYA’s fibreoptic wire guidance would allow Pakistani submarine crews to continue updating target information even after launch, significantly increasing engagement flexibility during complicated naval encounters.

That capability could prove particularly important against heavily protected task groups employing helicopters, maritime patrol aircraft, decoys, electronic warfare systems, and layered escort formations.

At the same time, the Hangor-class reportedly may eventually carry Babur-3 submarine-launched cruise missiles, giving Pakistan an additional land-attack and potential second-strike capability.

When combined with advanced heavyweight torpedoes, such a force structure would transform Pakistan’s submarine fleet from a coastal defence asset into a broader strategic deterrent.

No contract has yet been announced, and important questions remain regarding integration costs, delivery timelines, technology-transfer depth, and whether Pakistan can finance the complete package.

READ: Pakistan to Induct First Hangor-Class Submarine in 2026 — A US$5 Billion Naval Game-Changer in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean

Why the Reported Talks Reflect a Larger Pakistan-Turkey Strategic Alignment

The AKYA discussions fit within a much broader pattern of expanding Pakistan-Turkey defence cooperation that has accelerated steadily during the past decade.

Both countries increasingly view each other as politically reliable defence partners capable of providing military technology without the restrictions frequently associated with Western suppliers.

Turkey has simultaneously expanded its indigenous defence industry, while Pakistan has searched for partners willing to support long-term industrial modernisation rather than simple equipment sales.

That convergence has already produced cooperation involving corvettes, drone technology, submarine upgrades, training exchanges, and increasingly sophisticated naval-industrial projects.

An AKYA deal would therefore carry significance beyond underwater warfare because it would symbolise a deeper bilateral commitment to shared military self-reliance.

It would also strengthen Turkey’s position within Asian defence markets by demonstrating that Ankara can supply advanced naval weapons compatible with non-Turkish submarine platforms.

For Pakistan, integrating Turkish torpedoes aboard Chinese-designed submarines would reflect a deliberate multi-vendor procurement strategy intended to maximise flexibility and reduce dependency.

Until official confirmation emerges, however, the reported talks should be treated cautiously because neither Islamabad nor Ankara has publicly acknowledged that a final agreement exists.