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China’s military
ChinaMilitary

China launches first of 8 advanced stealth submarines for Pakistan Navy

  • Contract for Hangor-class vessels was signed in 2015 during visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping
  • Submarine construction adds ‘a new dimension to the ever-tested Pakistan-China friendship’, Pakistan Navy chief says

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The launch ceremony of the first Chinese-built Hangor-class submarine constructed for the Pakistan Navy was held on Friday at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group’s Shuangliu Base in Wuhan. Photo: Pakistan Navy
Amber Wangin Beijing
China has launched the first of eight advanced Hangor-class submarines being developed for Pakistan, in a sign of strengthening military cooperation between the two countries, the Pakistan Navy has said.

A launch ceremony for the vessel, attended by high-ranking officials from Pakistan and China, was held on Friday at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group’s Shuangliu Base in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, according to a Pakistan Navy statement.

The contract for the submarines was signed between the Pakistan government and China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company Ltd (CSOC) during a visit to Pakistan by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015, the statement said.

The submarines will play a pivotal role in maintaining peace and stability in the region, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, the Pakistani chief of naval staff, said during the ceremony.

The construction contract for the submarines would “add a new dimension to the ever-tested Pakistan-China friendship”, he added.

Under the contract, which includes an agreement to transfer technology, four of the submarines will be built in China and the other four will be built in Pakistan.

The stealth vessels would be fitted with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, the statement said.

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