PNS Saad is regarded as the Pakistan's first home-built long-range submarine and one of the complex project of submarine construction using the military-grade steel to be built in Pakistan.[5][6]
In June 1998, she was laid down by the French contractor, DCNS, in Cherbourg in France.: 530 [8]Saad is unique among her class because she was partially built in Cherbourg and was shipped to Naval Base Karachi to be completed by the KSEW Ltd. in Karachi.: 308 [9] Meanwhile, Khalid, the lead ship, was built entirely in France, while Hamza, the third submarine of the class, was built entirely in Pakistan.[10] In 2009, there were several proposals that called for a further three submarines of the class to all be built entirely in Pakistan.[10]
On 24 August 2002, Saad was launched in Karachi's coast before being set for further trials in deep sea.: 143 [12]
On 20 January 2003, Saad was tested for its propulsion system, chain steering system, fuel system, speed monitoring system, communication system and submarines habitability and atmospheric control system, according to the Pakistani military's ISPR.[13] She was reportedly tested for her depth ratings, reaching at 400m under the sea.[14] Her successful depth ratings were reported by the French Navy who later marked Pakistan's entry into the small club of countries to be able to build the modernized diesel-electric submarines.[14]
On 12 December 2003, she was commissioned into the Pakistan Navy as PNS Saad, a namesake after Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas– the companion of Muhammad.[5] At the time her launching, India reportedly bought the aircraft carrier from Russia to counter the submarine's threat in the Indian Ocean but did not enter in the service of the Indian Navy until 2013.[5] Her complement crew varies but is reported at 41 personnel (7 officers, 35 enlisted).[3]
Upgrades
In 2011, she underwent with overhauling, and retrofitted her propulsion system with the air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems by the technicians at the KSEW Ltd.[15]
On 6 March 2018, the DCNS, its original builder, lost the bidding competition with the Turkish firm, STM, for its refitting and upgradation of her weapon system, combat control system, missile rooms, and periscope upgrades, and will receive her upgrades by the Turkish technical firms at the KSEW Ltd. in 2021 following the delivery of the PNS Khalid that is slated to be return to her military service in 2020.[4]
^ abEditorial, Naval Tech. "SSK Agosta 90B Class Submarine". www.naval-technology.com. New York, USA: Naval Technology. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018. (The Agosta 90B's performance remains the same in all other respects, except that the length increases from 67m to 76m and submerged displacement from 1,760t to 2,050t.
^Jane, Frederick Thomas (1999). Jane's Fighting Ships. S. Low, Marston & Company. ISBN9780710619051.
^ ab"Agosta 90B". www.deagel.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
