May 18, 2026 16:20 pm IST

Opinion | PNS Hangor: Inside The $5 Billion Submarine Fleet Pakistan Is Buying From China

With the commissioning of PNS Hangor, what is no longer open to debate is the proposition that any future India-Pakistan conflict, in terms of force composition, will be a proxy engagement involving Chinese military technology.

Anushka Saxena Anushka Saxena Columnist

Anushka Saxena Columnist

China and Pakistan have once again demonstrated the strength of their all-weather and cross-domain defence partnership. On April 30, 2026, a bay in China's Sanya city hosted Pakistan's President, Asaf Ali Zardari, and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, where the two sides celebrated the commissioning of the first of four Chinese-built diesel-electric attack submarines to be transferred to the Pakistani Navy. It is part of an eight-unit set, of which the other four will be produced in Pakistan. And even though on May 9, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin of China's Ministry of National Defence called it a "normal equipment cooperation between China and Pakistan", the milestone essentially marks the beginning of sustained co-production of this Hangor-class of submarines for the Pakistani Navy, thereby embedding Chinese offerings in Pakistan's military and defence industry.

The Numbers Speak For........

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