Islamabad : Pakistan will acquire at least eight modified diesel-electric attack submarines from China by 2028 in a nearly $ 5 billion agreement, said to be the biggest arms export deal for the Communist giant.
Often described as Pakistan’s “all-weather friend”, China is expected to extend a long term loan to Pakistan at a low interest rate to cover the cost of the project.
The first four submarines are expected to be delivered by the end of 2023 while the remaining four will be assembled in Karachi by 2028. These are expected to form the sea-based arm of Pakistan’s burgeoning nuclear second-strike triad.
Analysts say that the new submarines will be lighter export versions of the People Liberation Army Navy’s Type 039 and Type 041 Yuan-class conventional attack submarines.Pakistan submarine fleet currently comprises five Agostas and three MG110 miniature submarines. The report comes even as India is grappling with the leak of details of its new Scorpene submarines. India has a fleet of 13 ageing submarines, only half of which are operational at any time.
