A shipyard in China has successfully completed a second submarine for Pakistan’s navy, further solidifying the military relationship between the two nations. This submarine, part of the diesel-electric Hangor class, was launched Thursday at the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation’s facility located along the Yangtze River in Wuhan.
Pakistan has ordered eight of these submarines, with the latter four set to be constructed at the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works in Pakistan. The Hangor class is an export variant of China’s 039A submarine. It features a crew capacity of 38 and can accommodate an additional eight personnel for special forces operations. Furthermore, these submarines are armed with both torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.
Historically, Pakistan has deployed submarines against India during their numerous conflicts over contested territory. Due to restrictions on military technology that can also have civilian applications, imposed by European nations that manufacture diesel-powered submarines, Pakistan has turned to China for such critical military assets.
Reports from a Swedish military analysis institute suggest that China supplied over 81% of Pakistan’s arms in the last five years. This partnership includes collaborations on the Hangor class submarines as well as the JF-17 fighter jet program.
Concurrently, China and India are in discussions to resolve a prolonged border conflict in the Himalayan region. This ongoing dispute escalated into a deadly encounter in 2020, though it has roots extending back several decades.
