China is set to supply eight modified diesel-electric attack submarines to the Pakistan Navy by 2028.
Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) had secured a contract to produce four of the eight submarines, which will be fitted with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems.
Valued at $4 to $5 billion, China is expected to extend a long-term loan to Islamabad at a low interest rate.
The new submarines will be lighter export versions of China Navy’s Type 039 and Type 041 Yuan-class conventional attack submarines.
While the first four submarines are expected to be delivered by the end of 2023, the remaining four will be assembled in Karachi by 2028.
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defence was briefed about the development by the head of Pakistan’s next-generation submarine programme.