ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to commission its first Chinese-built Hangor-class submarine next year, marking a major milestone in the country’s naval modernisation drive and its growing defence partnership with Beijing.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of Naval Staff, confirmed the development in an interview with China’s Global Times, saying the eight-submarine project worth around $5 billion was progressing smoothly. The fleet, he said, would significantly strengthen Pakistan’s ability to monitor and defend its maritime interests in the North Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Strengthening maritime defence
Under the agreement, four of the diesel-electric attack submarines are being constructed in China, while the remaining four will be assembled in Pakistan. The collaboration aims not only to enhance naval strength but also to boost local shipbuilding and technical expertise. Three submarines have already been launched into China’s Yangtze River from a shipyard in Hubei province.
“The Chinese platforms have proven reliable and well-suited to our operational needs,” Admiral Ashraf said, noting that the Pakistan Navy is also focusing on emerging technologies such as unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced electronic warfare through joint projects with China.
The Hangor-class submarines, known for their stealth and endurance, are expected to give Pakistan an edge in regional waters, where India currently operates nuclear-powered and diesel-electric submarines developed with France, Germany, and Russia.
Deepening defence partnership
Pakistan has long been one of China’s closest defence partners and remains its top arms customer. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, more than 60 percent of China’s arms exports between 2020 and 2024 went to Pakistan.
This defence cooperation comes alongside the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a 3,000-kilometre trade and infrastructure network linking China’s Xinjiang region to the deep-sea port of Gwadar. The corridor is a key part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, designed to secure alternative trade routes to the Middle East while extending its influence across South and Central Asia.
Admiral Ashraf said the partnership between Islamabad and Beijing went beyond hardware. “It reflects mutual trust, a shared strategic outlook, and decades of cooperation,” he noted. “In the coming decade, we expect this relationship to grow through shipbuilding, training, research, and technology sharing.”
Analysts view the submarine project as part of Beijing’s broader push to project power toward the Middle East and counter India’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean. For Pakistan, it represents a step toward achieving greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing while maintaining a balance of power in the region.
As the first Hangor-class submarine prepares to enter service next year, the Pakistan Navy stands poised to begin a new era in maritime defence, deepening one of Asia’s most enduring strategic partnerships.