Pakistan’s first Chinese submarine to set sail in 2026: Should India be concerned?

Pakistan eyes 2026 launch for first Chinese submarine in $5 billion arms deal (File image)

Pakistan’s Navy plans to deploy its first Chinese-designed submarine next year to counter India and expand its reach toward the Middle East, a top admiral told Chinese state media, according to Reuters.

The submarine deal, reportedly worth up to $5 billion, includes the construction of eight Hangor-class diesel-electric attack submarines by 2028. According to Admiral Naveed Ashraf, the first four vessels will be built in China, while the remaining ones will be assembled in Pakistan.

Speaking to the Global Times, Ashraf said the project is “progressing smoothly” and will significantly enhance Pakistan’s capability to patrol the North Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Pakistan has already launched three of its Chinese-designed submarines into the Yangtze River from a shipyard in China’s central Hubei province.

"Chinese-origin platforms and equipment have been reliable, technologically advanced and well-suited to Pakistan Navy's operational requirements," Admiral Naveed Ashraf told the Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with China’s 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 added.

What does it mean for India? 

China and Pakistan have deepened their defence cooperation in recent years, with Islamabad emerging as Beijing’s largest arms customer. Between 2020 and 2024, Pakistan accounted for more than 60% of China’s total weapons exports, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Alongside extensive military collaboration, Beijing has poured billions into infrastructure and connectivity projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a 3,000 km trade route linking China’s Xinjiang region to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea.

The corridor, a key component of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, provides China with a strategic pathway to import energy from the Middle East while bypassing the vulnerable Strait of Malacca.

India, meanwhile, continues to strengthen its maritime capabilities to counter the growing Chinese and Pakistani presence in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Navy currently operates three indigenously developed nuclear-powered submarines and multiple classes of diesel-electric attack submarines built in collaboration with France, Germany, and Russia.

Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Vice Chief of the Indian Navy, said that under Operation Sindoor, the Navy is “monitoring every vessel that enters the Indian Ocean region” and is “fully prepared to deal with any eventuality.” He added that about 40 Indian warships are presently deployed across the region, with plans to increase the number to over 50 in the near future.

During the same operation, Pakistan claimed to have downed five Indian jets, a claim New Delhi dismissed. Dismissing Pakistan’s claims, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said in August that the Indian Air Force had shot down at least five Pakistani fighter jets and one large surveillance aircraft during Operation Sindoor.

“We have at least five fighters confirmed kills and one large aircraft, which could be either an ELINT or an AEW&C,” Singh said earlier.

The Indian government confirmed that Pakistan’s attempted strikes on Indian cities and military installations involved Chinese and Turkish-origin weapon systems, including PL-15 missiles and Bayraktar-style drones.

All of these, officials said, were successfully intercepted and neutralised using indigenously developed Indian defence technologies.