Pakistan has already launched three submarines into China’s Yangtze River from Hubei Shipyard
Pakistan’s navy expects its first Chinese-designed submarine to enter active service next year, the country’s top admiral told Chinese state media, strengthening Beijing’s bid to counter regional rival India and project power toward the Middle East.
A deal under which Islamabad will take delivery of eight Hangor-class submarines by 2028 is “progressing smoothly,” Admiral Naveed Ashraf told the Global Times in an interview published Sunday, adding that the submarines would boost Pakistan’s ability to patrol the northern Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.
The update on the Chinese submarine deal follows the Pakistan Air Force’s use of Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets in May to shoot down a French-made Indian Air Force Rafale jet.
The altercation between the nuclear-armed neighbors surprised many in the military community and raised questions about the superiority of Western hardware over Chinese alternatives.
Under the terms of the submarine deal, worth an estimated $5 billion, the first four diesel-electric attack submarines will be built in China, with the remaining vessels assembled in Pakistan to improve the South Asian country’s technical capabilities.
Pakistan has already launched three such submarines into China’s Yangtze River from a shipyard in the central province of Hubei.
“Chinese-origin platforms and equipment are reliable, technologically advanced and well suited to the operational needs of the Pakistan Navy,” Ashraf told the tabloid, published by the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily.
“As modern warfare evolves, emerging technologies such as unmanned systems, AI and advanced electronic warfare systems are becoming increasingly important. The Pakistan Navy is focusing on these technologies and exploring collaboration with China,” Ashraf also said.
Islamabad has long been Beijing’s largest arms customer, and over the 2020-2024 period it purchased more than 60% of China’s arms exports, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
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Along with billions in arms sales, Beijing has invested heavily in developing its connections to the Arabian Sea through a 3,000 km (1,864.11 miles) economic corridor stretching from China’s Xinjiang to Pakistan’s deep-water port of Gwadar.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of President Xi Jinping’s flagship Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, aims to secure a route for the world’s largest energy importer to transport its supplies from the Middle East, bypassing the Strait of Malacca – a strategic chokepoint between Malaysia and Indonesia that could be blocked in times of war.
The initiative also expands China’s sphere of influence towards Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia, and effectively encircles India, given Beijing’s ties to Myanmar’s junta and its good relations with Bangladesh.
India currently operates three indigenously developed nuclear-powered submarines, as well as three classes of diesel-electric attack submarines acquired or developed over decades with France, Germany and Russia.
“This cooperation (with China) goes beyond the material; it reflects a shared strategic vision, mutual trust and a long-standing partnership,” Achraf said.
“Over the coming decade, we expect this relationship to grow, encompassing not only shipbuilding and training, but also increased interoperability, research, technology sharing and industrial collaboration.
