Pakistan’s first Chinese submarine set to boost naval capability
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (R) walk pass the honor guards during the welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on Feb. 5, 2025, in Beijing, China. (Wu Hao – Pool/Getty Images)
NEW DELHI — Pakistan has commissioned the first of eight advanced Chinese submarines, marking a significant step in strengthening its maritime capabilities and deepening defense cooperation with its close ally, Beijing.
A ceremony to commission the attack submarine called Hangor was held in the Chinese city of Sanya on April 30 in the presence of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Navy Chief Naveed Ashraf as well as senior Chinese military officials, according to a Pakistani statement. Sanya, a port city, hosts a major submarine base of the People’s Liberation Army.
The diesel-electric Hangor-class submarine is an export variant of China’s 039A Yuan-class submarines. It has a displacement of approximately 2,800 tons. Armed with advanced sensors, torpedoes, and anti-ship cruise missiles that can strike surface warships, submarines and land-based facilities, these Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) conventional boats aim to enhance the Pakistan Navy’s undersea warfare capability. The AIP submarines can remain underwater significantly longer without needing to surface.
The deal for the eight Chinese submarines, struck in 2015, is estimated at $5 billion. Four boats are being built in China, and the remaining four will be built in Pakistan under a technology-transfer agreement. All four Chinese-built boats are scheduled to be inducted by 2028.
Pakistani President Zardari described the commissioning of the first Chinese attack submarine as a “historic milestone” in the South Asian country’s naval modernization. Until now, Islamabad operates a fleet of eight submarines, including three mini ones.
Reference Link:- https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2026/05/06/pakistans-first-chinese-submarine-set-to-boost-naval-capability/
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
