The Pakistan Navy expects its first Chinese-designed attack submarine to enter service next year, Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf told Chinese state media, strengthening Beijing\u2019s regional influence and its ability to counter India while projecting power toward the Middle East. Under a $5 billion deal, Islamabad will acquire eight Hangor-class submarines by 2028, a plan Admiral Ashraf described as \u201cprogressing smoothly\u201d in an interview with the Global Times published Sunday. The submarines are expected to enhance Pakistan\u2019s patrol capabilities in the North Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The announcement comes after Pakistan\u2019s Air Force used Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets in May to down several Indian aircraft, including French-made Rafales, surprising military analysts and raising questions about the effectiveness of Western platforms versus Chinese systems. According to the agreement, the first four diesel-electric submarines will be constructed in China, while the remaining four will be assembled in Pakistan, helping to boost the country\u2019s technical expertise in submarine operations. Three of the submarines have already been launched from a shipyard on China\u2019s Yangtze River in Hubei province. \u201cChinese-origin platforms and equipment have proven reliable, technologically advanced, and well-suited to the Pakistan Navy\u2019s operational needs,\u201d Admiral Ashraf said. He added that as modern warfare evolves, technologies such as unmanned systems, AI, and advanced electronic warfare are becoming increasingly important, and the Pakistan Navy is exploring further collaboration with China in these areas. Pakistan has historically been one of China\u2019s top arms customers. Between 2020 and 2024, the country purchased over 60 percent of China\u2019s exported weapons, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. In addition to arms sales, Beijing has invested heavily in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a 3,000 km (1,864-mile) trade and transport route connecting China\u2019s Xinjiang region to Pakistan\u2019s deep-water port of Gwadar, further cementing strategic ties between the two nations. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of President Xi Jinping\u2019s flagship \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 infrastructure initiative, aims to secure a route for the world\u2019s largest energy importer to bring in supplies from the Middle East, bypassing the Straits of Malacca \u2014 a strategic chokepoint between Malaysia and Indonesia that could be blocked in wartime. The initiative also extends China\u2019s sphere of influence toward Afghanistan and Iran and onto Central Asia, and effectively encircles India, given Beijing\u2019s ties to the junta in Myanmar and good relations with Bangladesh. India currently operates three indigenously developed nuclear-powered submarines, along with three classes of diesel-electric attack submarines acquired or developed over decades with France, Germany, and Russia. \u201cThis cooperation (with China) goes beyond hardware; it reflects a shared strategic outlook, mutual trust, and a long-standing partnership,\u201d Admiral Ashraf said and added \u201cIn the coming decade, we expect this relationship to grow, encompassing not only shipbuilding and training, but also enhanced interoperability, research, technology sharing and industrial collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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