Analysts say the Hangor-class submarines could challenge India’s naval dominance, particularly in the northern Arabian Sea.
Pakistan’s top naval official has confirmed that the first batch of Chinese-built Hangor-class submarines will soon enter service, a move that analysts say could test India’s dominance in the Indian Ocean and marks a major technical milestone for Beijing.
said Admiral Naveed Ashraf, chief of the Naval Staff. Global times that conventionally powered attack submarines, jointly developed by China and Pakistan, are expected to join the Pakistan Navy next year.
“The submarine program is progressing smoothly,” Ashraf said. He highlighted the role of the ships in boosting Pakistan’s submarine capabilities, fostering “self-reliance through technology transfer and skill development” and reflecting close Sino-Pakistani collaboration on naval equipment.
Ashraf added that the Chinese-origin platforms have been reliable, technologically advanced and adequate to the operational requirements of the Pakistan Navy. He noted that emerging technologies, including unmanned systems, artificial intelligence and electronic warfare, are increasingly important, and Pakistan is exploring greater collaboration with China in these areas.
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, into 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 port of Gwadar.
“The Hangor-class submarines significantly enhance Pakistan’s deterrence posture, complicating India’s maritime strategy and contributing to China’s broader ambitions in the Indo-Pacific,” Odgaard said.
Pakistan currently operates five conventional attack submarines imported from France, while India has nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, including INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, which can stay submerged for longer and operate at higher speeds.
Jagannath Panda of the Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy said the Hangor-class fleet would “strengthen” Pakistan’s stance on denying sea access in the northern Arabian Sea and increase the costs of India’s anti-submarine operations.
The Type 039A design of the submarines allows for air-independent propulsion, allowing them to remain submerged for up to three weeks with around 60 days of total mission time. Odgaard noted that its torpedo tubes can launch anti-ship and submarine-launched cruise missiles, potentially giving Pakistan a second-strike nuclear capability.
The 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 indicated China had “largely resolved” supply chain constraints and could avoid Western technological dependencies.
Experts, however, caution that the CHD620 engine has yet to prove itself under operational conditions, particularly with regard to noise and stealth performance, although the submarines are expected to offer reasonable capabilities at a lower cost than Western models.
Under a 2015 deal, Pakistan will receive eight Hangor-class submarines, four from China and four locally produced under technology transfer agreements. The $5 billion contract is the largest arms export deal ever made by Beijing.
