Hashmat (FRA Agosta 70)

The Agosta 70 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines designed and built by France in the 1970s. It was known for its quiet operation and advanced sonar systems, serving with the French, Spanish, and Pakistani navies.

Originally ordered by South Africa in the late 1970s, these submarines were sold to Pakistan after a United Nations arms embargo prevented their delivery. The lead vessel, renamed PNS Hashmat, was commissioned into the Pakistan Navy in 1979 to bolster its underwater warfare capabilities. Throughout their service, the class played critical deterrence roles during periods of heightened tension with India, including conducting strategic patrols in the Arabian Sea during the 1999 Kargil War. Having undergone several electronic and weapons upgrades over the decades, the Hashmat-class remains active, serving as a foundational pillar of Pakistan's subsurface fleet.