Saudi Gazette report JUBAIL — Rear Admiral Ibrahim Maghloos, commander eastern fleet of the Saudi Royal Navy, recently visited the Paksitani submarine Hamza docked at Royal Saudi Naval Forces Base in Jubail. Commander Syed Sajjad Hussain and other naval officers of Pakistan and Saudi navies welcomed Rear Admiral Maghloos. Pakistan's Air and Naval Attache Commodore Asad Ibrahim was also present on the occasion. PNS/M Hamza, the first indigenously constructed submarine of Pakistan Navy with MESMA AIP system, docked at Jubail base on May 6 to conduct joint exercises with the Saudi Navy. It left the Jubail shore on Sunday. The submarine was constructed by PN Dockyard in collaboration with DCNS of France. Hamza was successfully launched on Aug. 10, 2006 by the president of Pakistan and commissioned on Sept. 26, 2008 by the prime minister. The induction of Hamza in PN submarine force has added a new dimension to the operations of convention submarines. Hamza has safely and smoothly conducted maximum endurance operation of MESMA at sea. The PN submarine source with this state of the art platform has gained unique capability of enhanced submerged endurance as compared to the navies of the region. By virtue of its propulsion, weapons and sensor outfit, equipment efficiency, stealth and well-knitted crew, the submarine is a platform to reckon with and is fully capable of undertaking variety of missions.
