Nigeria TV Info.

The Pakistan Navy is set to commission its first Chinese-designed Hangor-class submarine next year, a move that highlights the deepening military partnership between Islamabad and Beijing and signals a new phase in the strategic rivalry with India.

Speaking to China’s Global Times, Pakistan’s Naval Chief, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, confirmed that the ambitious submarine program — part of an eight-vessel, $5 billion deal with China — is “progressing smoothly.”

Under the agreement, four diesel-electric attack submarines are being constructed in China, while the remaining four will be built in Pakistan, a plan aimed at strengthening local shipbuilding capacity and technical expertise.

Pakistan has already launched three submarines from China’s Yangtze River shipyard in Hubei province.

Admiral Ashraf praised the reliability and advanced technology of Chinese defense platforms, noting that they have met Pakistan Navy’s operational needs. He also emphasized that the Navy is expanding its focus to artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and electronic warfare, with China as a major partner in innovation and development.

The upcoming Hangor-class submarines are expected to boost Pakistan’s maritime patrol capability in the North Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean, reinforcing its naval strength in the region.