Pakistan has officially commissioned its first of 8 Chinese submarines, strengthening its underwater capabilities and enhancing the defense cooperation with one of its closest allies.

The commissioning ceremony of the attack submarine called HANGOR was held in the Chinese Naval base of Sanya at the presence of Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zardari, and the Navy Chief, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, together with senior Chinese military officials.

The HANGOR is a diesel-electric submarine - first of its class – which is the export variant of China’s 039A YUAN-class submarines. It has an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) and a displacement of approximately 2,800 tons. According to the Pakistani statements, it is armed with modern sensors, torpedoes and anti-ship/cruise missiles also able to strike land-based targets.

The $5 billion’s deal for the 8 Chinese submarines was signed in 2015, and it sees 4 boats being built in China (no later than 2028) and the remaining 4 in Pakistan. The latter will consequently experience a significant “know-how” transfer, enhancing its shipyard capabilities. In their speeches, Pakistani President Zardari and the Chief of the Navy highlighted the importance of the commissioning as an “historic milestone” for Islamabad. A huge improvement from the current KHALID and HASHMAT class submarines, the HANGORs “will play a pivotal role in deterring aggression and ensuring security of vital sea lines of communication across the Arabian Sea and wider Indian Ocean region.”

After the J-10C and the JF-17 combat aircrafts’ deals, with this one, China’s defense industries “scored another huge point” on supporting Pakistan’s military build-up and modernization, reaching approximately the 80% of  Islamabad’s arms import and becoming Beijing’s top arms customer (buying as much as 60% of its defense exports).

In the meantime, India, Pakistan’s main rival, has already responded announcing a close deal with Germany to buy 6 AIP submarines in the coming months.

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