China delivers second of eight advanced submarines to Pakistan, boosting naval ties

China delivers second of eight modern submarines to Pakistan navy. (Rep Image)

China has delivered a second new submarine, equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, to Pakistan as part of its efforts to beef up the navy of its all-weather ally to back its growing presence in the Arabian Sea and India’s backyard - the Indian Ocean.

The Hangor-class submarine, which is part of the eight such submarines to Pakistan in a deal with around USD five billion, was launched in Wuhan, China's Hubei Province, official media here reported on Sunday.

This is in addition to four modern naval frigates China supplied to Pakistan in the last few years as part of its efforts to boost the naval strength of Pakistan, amid the Chinese navy’s steady expansion in the Arabian Sea, where it is developing the Gwadar port in Balochistan, and the Indian Ocean.

A Chinese expert told the state-run Global Times that the new submarine has a strong comprehensive combat capability to become a mainstay for the Pakistan Navy.

Under an agreement, Pakistan will acquire eight Hangor-class submarines from China. Four of them will be built in China, while the remaining will be constructed in Karachi under a transfer of technology program, the Pakistan Navy said in a press release.

The submarines will be fitted with cutting-edge weapons and sensors, enabling them to engage targets at standoff ranges.

Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that Hangor-class submarines possess strong underwater combat capabilities and are equipped with an air-independent propulsion system that will give the boat strong, sustained stealth capability, manoeuvrability and endurance.

Its firepower includes torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and mine-laying capabilities, along with advanced underwater detection systems, he said.

According to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China has supplied 81 per cent of Pakistan’s advanced military systems in the past five years, making Pakistan its biggest arms importer.

Pakistan’s military acquisitions amounted to 63 per cent of China’s total arms exports, with a total value of USD 5.28 billion in the last five years.

Pakistan bought more advanced and diverse systems from China from 2020 to 2024, such as long-range reconnaissance drones and Type 054A guided-missile frigates, the SIPRI report said.

Some of Pakistan’s key orders in the past five years include the country’s first spy ship, the Rizwan, more than 600 VT-4 battle tanks, and 36 J-10CE 4.5-generation fighters, according to the SIPRI database.

China supplied the first delivery of multirole J-10CE fighter jets to Pakistan Air Force in 2022, adding to its JF-17 fighters jointly manufactured by both countries.

The fourth-generation JF-17 was jointly developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, including the Block III version featuring an active electronically scanned array radar, which was inducted by the Pakistan Air Force in 2023.

Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former instructor of the Chinese military, told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post that China might also export its fifth-generation fighter jet, the J-35 the stealth multirole fighter, “if Pakistan requests it”.