Stealth jets, subs, missiles: The sub-continental arms race you can’t ignore |
Pakistan signed a landmark defense deal with China last month to acquire 40 Shenyang J-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter jets (export variant J-35AE) to modernize the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The agreement positions Pakistan as the first international operator of the advanced Chinese stealth aircraft. Pakistan is scheduled to receive its first batch of J-35s by late-2026, making it the first air force in South Asia to operate fifth-generation combat aircraft.
In April, Pakistan launched the first of eight Chinese-built Hangor-class submarines, expanding its undersea fleet in deepening cooperation with Beijing. The Hangor-class submarines are advanced, diesel-electric attack submarines being manufactured by China for the Pakistan Navy. They feature Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) and are equipped with modern sensors and heavyweight torpedoes.
Pakistan-China Strategic Partnership
Islamabad and Beijing maintain a deeply integrated “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,” with China serving as Pakistan’s primary defense supplier. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China accounted for approximately 81% of Pakistan’s arms imports in 2020-2024. Imports included jets, submarines, and drones. This “threshold alliance” features extensive technology transfers, joint production (Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation are co-developing the fourth-generation, lightweight multirole combat aircraft JF-17), and deep interoperability to counter regional security challenges.
As of early 2026, Pakistan is the fifth-largest arms importer, with 60% of Chinese arms exports directed to Pakistan. Key acquisitions include J-10CE fighters, JF-17 jets, and eight Hangor-class submarines. The partnership extends beyond sales to co-production, including the JF-17s and unmanned combat aerial vehicles.
The militaries conduct regular, high-level joint exercises across air, land, and sea, focusing on increasing operational interoperability. The cooperation is driven by a shared strategic goal of maintaining a regional balance of power against India.
China is aiding the expansion of Pakistan’s naval power in the Arabian Sea, enhancing maritime surveillance and operational capabilities. During the 2025 India-Pakistan standoff, Islamabad deployed Chinese-origin aircraft, demonstrating the operational maturity of the systems. China also provided intelligence and satellite communication support, as well as live radar networking. Chinese aerospace engineers and state technicians provided on-site support to optimize Pakistani assets during the conflict.
The recent commissioning of advanced Chinese-built submarines for the Pakistan Navy will be followed with local construction via technology transfer. The relationship is increasingly characterized as “brothers........