ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy expects its first Chinese-designed submarine to enter active service next year, Admiral Naveed Ashraf told Chinese state media, marking a major milestone in Pakistan’s expanding defence partnership with Beijing.

Under the deal, Islamabad will receive eight Hangor-class submarines by 2028 — four to be built in China and the remaining four assembled in Pakistan. The agreement, reportedly worth up to $5 billion, aims to enhance Pakistan’s maritime capabilities across the North Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

“The programme is progressing smoothly,” Admiral Ashraf said in an interview with the Global Times, adding that the submarines would significantly strengthen Pakistan’s patrol and deterrence capabilities.

Three of the submarines have already been launched into China’s Yangtze River from a shipyard in Hubei province.

Ashraf praised Chinese defence technology as “reliable, technologically advanced and well-suited to Pakistan Navy’s operational requirements,” and said the Navy is focusing on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and electronic warfare — with potential for deeper collaboration with China.

The partnership underscores Beijing’s broader strategic ambitions in the Indian Ocean region, where it seeks to counter India’s influence and secure access to the Middle East through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Stretching 3,000 kilometres from China’s Xinjiang province to the port of Gwadar, CPEC forms a vital component of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, providing China with an alternative route for energy imports.

“This cooperation goes beyond hardware; it reflects a shared strategic outlook, mutual trust, and a long-standing partnership,” Ashraf said. “In the coming decade, we expect this relationship to grow, encompassing shipbuilding, training, interoperability, and industrial collaboration.”