Pakistan already launches three submarines into China\u2019s Yangtze River from shipyard in Hubei
\n Hubei
\nThe Pakistan Navy expects its first Chinese-designed submarine to enter active service next year, the country\u2019s top admiral told Chinese state media, bolstering Beijing\u2019s bid to counter regional rival India and project power toward the Middle East.
\nA deal under which Islamabad will take delivery of eight Hangor-class submarines by 2028 is \u201cprogressing smoothly,\u201d Admiral Naveed Ashraf told the Global Times in an interview published on Sunday, adding the submarines would boost Pakistan\u2019s ability to patrol the North Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.
\nThe update on the Chinese submarine deal follows Pakistan\u2019s air force using Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets in May to shoot down an Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft, made by France.
\nThe altercation between the nuclear-armed neighbours surprised many in the military community and raised questions over the superiority of Western hardware over Chinese alternatives.
\nUnder the terms of the submarine agreement, reportedly worth up to $5 billion, the first four diesel-electric attack submarines will be built in China, with the remaining vessels assembled in Pakistan to improve the South Asian nation\u2019s technical capabilities.
\nPakistan has already launched three of the submarines into China\u2019s Yangtze River from a shipyard in the central province of Hubei.
\n\u201cChinese-origin platforms and equipment have been reliable, technologically advanced and well-suited to Pakistan Navy\u2019s operational requirements,\u201d Ashraf told the tabloid, which is published by the ruling Communist Party\u2019s People\u2019s Daily.
\n\u201cAs 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,\u201d Ashraf was also quoted as saying.
\nIslamabad has long been Beijing\u2019s top arms customer, and over the 2020-2024 period, it bought over 60% of China\u2019s weapons exports, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows.
\nAlong with billions in arms sales, Beijing has heavily invested in building out its connections to the Arabian Sea through a 3,000 km (1864.11 miles) economic corridor stretching from China\u2019s Xinjiang to Pakistan\u2019s deep-water port of Gwadar.
\nThe 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.
\nThe 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.
\nIndia 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.
\n\u201cThis cooperation (with China) goes beyond hardware; it reflects a shared strategic outlook, mutual trust, and a long-standing partnership,\u201d Ashraf said.
\n\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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistan already launches three submarines into China\u2019s Yangtze River from shipyard in Hubei Hubei The Pakistan Navy expects its first Chinese-designed submarine to enter active service next year, the country\u2019s top admiral told Chinese state media, bolstering Beijing\u2019s bid to counter regional rival India and project power toward the Middle East. A deal under which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":512417,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-512384","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n