China, Pakistan's longtime ally and defence equipment supplier, will be equipping Islamabad with a fleet of advanced submarines as part of the growing defence cooperation between the two countries.
According to media reports, the first of these, a Hangor-class submarine armed with state-of-the-art weapons and advanced sensors, was commissioned on Thursday at a ceremony held in China's Sanya.
President Asif Ali Zardari, who attended the event as a chief guest, hailed the event as a "historic milestone" in Pakistan Navy's modernisation.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf had said that Hangor-class submarines, equipped with state-of-the-art weapons, advanced sensors, and Air Independent Propulsion, will play a key role in maintaining maritime stability.
According to a Reuters report, while the statement from Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) did not mention the number of submarines China will be supplying, a government official was quoted as saying that the fleet would consist of eight submarines.
Four of these are to be made in China, and the remaining will be made in Pakistan under a transfer-of-technology programme.
"We will also be in a position to offer their exports under our defence production in future," the official has been quoted as saying.
The naval chief added that the submarines will be vital in deterring aggression and safeguarding Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) across the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean region.