Chinese Navy Seen Near Pakistani Warships Offshore of Karachi

Reuters
August 18, 2020 Topic: Security Region: Asia Blog Brand: The Buzz Tags: MilitaryTechnologyWeaponsWarNavy

Chinese Navy Seen Near Pakistani Warships Offshore of Karachi

Why China would be interested in a Cold War-era French submarine design still remains a mystery. 

According to a news report from The Times Now, satellite imagery showed a Pakistan Navy Agosta-90B Type submarine docked next to Chinese warships near Karachi earlier this year. The Hashmat-class submarine is a diesel-electric boat based on the French Agosta 70Alpha-class design, which has been widely exported to navies around the world.

It is unclear if the submarine was the PNS/M Hashmat (S135) or its sister ship PNS/M Hurmat (S136), but both were originally built for South Africa in the late 1970s but France denied the delivery to the South African Navy following the implementation of the United Nation's Resolution 418 arms embargo.

The China-Pakistan Connection 

China and Pakistan continue to maintain close relations and in January of this year took part in a joint exercise called “Sea Guardian-2020.” Pakistan also continues to conduct military exercise not far away from India’s coastal borders, and it was during the January exercises.

The recent satellite images, which showed the Pakistani submarine with Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) warships was reportedly picked up private intelligence consultancy firm ShadowBreak International. Why it has taken nearly eight months for the images to be released is unclear but neither China nor Pakistan has tried to conceal that the maneuvers took place.

However, at the time of Sea Guardian-2020, it was reported that Pakistani warships such as missile boats and frigates, as well as helicopters and anti-submarine aircraft were involved in the exercises—but no mention was made of any submarines taking part. To add to the mystery is the fact that the exercise was conducted near Karachi’s commercial docks not the ones normally used for the subs.

Increasing the Sub Fleet 

Pakistan is also in the process of adding eight Chinese-made Type-039B Yuan-class submarines to its fleet, so potentially the January meet up was a way to share military knowledge and hardware—but why China would be interested in a Cold War-era French submarine design still remains a mystery. 

While the French Navy did operate a total of four of the Agosta 70Alpha-class, all have been decommissioned with one being transferred to the Royal Malaysian Navy, where it was used as a training vessel until it was decommissioned in 2009. Apart from Pakistan, only the Spanish navy still has two of the original Alpha-class boats still in operational service. However, France does currently operate three of the improved Agosta-90B-class submarines but it is still unclear what China could have "gleaned" from an inspection of the Pakistani boats. 

The ChineseType-039B Yuan-class is vastly superior to the aging Agosta 70Alpha-class, and the Chinese boat is reported to be one of the quietest diesel-electric submarine classes in service. It was designed primarily as an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) platform that can remain submerged for long periods of time in shallow littorals, but in recent years it has evolved into a more traditional attack submarine with ASCM being its secondary role.  

Given the standoff between China and India at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the poorly demarcated border between the two nuclear-power nations, in the mountainous region near the Ladakh valley, it could be seen that India could look to counter China in the Indian Ocean. Now it seems India will have to deal with the stronger bond that is forming between Pakistan and China.  

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com. 

Image: Reuters