China has delivered a second new submarine, equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, to Pakistan as part of its efforts to beef up the navy of its all-weather ally to back its growing presence in the Arabian Sea and India’s backyard – the Indian Ocean.
The Hangor-class submarine, which is part of the eight such submarines to Pakistan in a deal with around USD five billion, was launched in Wuhan, China’s Hubei Province, official media here reported on Sunday.
This is in addition to four modern naval frigates China supplied to Pakistan in the last few years as part of its efforts to boost the naval strength of Pakistan, amid the Chinese navy’s steady expansion in the Arabian Sea, where it is developing the Gwadar port in Balochistan, and the Indian Ocean.