Pakistan to get Chinese Hangor-class submarines in 2026

Pakistan’s top naval official has confirmed that the first batch of Chinese-built Hangor-class submarines will soon enter service, a move analysts say could test India’s dominance in the Indian Ocean and marks a major technical milestone for Beijing. Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of Naval Staff, told Global Times that the conventionally powered attack submarines, co-developed by China and Pakistan, are expected to join the Pakistan Navy next year. “The submarine programme is progressing smoothly,” Ashraf said. He highlighted the vessels’ role in boosting Pakistan’s submarine capabilities, fostering “self-reliance through transfer of technology and skill development,” and reflecting close Sino-Pakistani collaboration on naval equipment. Ashraf added that Chinese-origin platforms have been reliable, technologically advanced, and suited to Pakistan Navy operational requirements. He noted that emerging technologies, including uncrewed systems, artificial intelligence, and electronic warfare, are increasingly important, and Pakistan is exploring further collaboration with China in these areas. Under a 2015 agreement, Pakistan is to receive eight Hangor-class submarines, four from China and four produced locally under technology transfer arrangements. The US$5 billion contract is Beijing’s largest-ever arms export deal. Read More: Pakistan Navy launches second Hangor-class submarine  Pakistan is the world’s largest importer of Chinese weapons, accounting for 63% of Beijing’s global arms exports from 2020 to 2024, including naval systems. Islamabad has already received four Type 054 frigates, renamed Tughril-class frigates in its navy. Analysts say the Hangor-class submarines could challenge India’s naval dominance, particularly in the northern Arabian Sea. Liselotte Odgaard of the Hudson Institute in Washington said the vessels enhance Pakistan’s anti-access and area-denial capabilities and could support China’s maritime corridors to the Middle East, including the Gwadar port. “Hangor-class submarines significantly enhance Pakistan’s deterrence posture, complicating India’s maritime strategy and contributing to China’s broader Indo-Pacific ambitions,” Odgaard said. Pakistan currently operates five conventional attack submarines imported from France, while India fields nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, including INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, which can remain submerged longer and operate at higher speeds. Jagannath Panda of the Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy said the Hangor-class fleet would “thicken” Pakistan’s sea-denial posture in the northern Arabian Sea and raise costs for Indian anti-submarine operations. The submarines’ Type 039A design allows air-independent propulsion, letting them remain submerged for up to three weeks with around 60 days of total mission time. Odgaard noted that their torpedo tubes can launch anti-ship and submarine-launched cruise missiles, potentially giving Pakistan a second-strike nuclear capability. Delivery delays have been linked to Germany’s refusal to export MTU396 engines due to a European Union arms embargo, forcing China to develop the CHD620 engine. Odgaard said this signalled that China had “largely resolved” the supply-chain constraints and could bypass Western technology dependencies. Experts, however, caution that the CHD620 engine has yet to prove itself in operational conditions, particularly regarding noise and stealth performance, though the submarines are expected to offer reasonable capabilities at a lower cost than Western models.

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