Pakistan has long carried the reputation of a country that shelters terrorists, and the outfits nurtured on its soil have struck not only India but several other nations. For India, the most recent wound is the terror attack in Pahalgam. The point is hard to argue when you recall that Osama bin Laden — the international terrorist behind the plot against America’s World Trade Towers — spent his final days hiding inside Pakistan, plain proof that the country’s land has been used to breed and protect terrorism. And yet, despite all this, a long list of nations has kept arming Pakistan.
China: The Biggest Arms Dealer
At the top of that list sits China. The freshest example is a Hangor-class submarine, built in China, which reached Karachi just today to be inducted into the Pakistan Navy. According to reports, the two countries struck a deal worth roughly $5 billion for these vessels, under which China will hand over a total of 8 Hangor-class submarines. The first four are being constructed in China, while the remaining four will be built at the Karachi Shipyard. Crucially, these submarines carry an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, which lets them stay submerged for far longer stretches.
A report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) puts hard numbers to the dependence: 81 percent of Pakistan’s total arms imports come from China alone. Five years ago that figure stood at 74 percent — meaning Beijing’s grip has only tightened over time. The same report ranks Pakistan as the world’s fifth-largest arms importer, holding about 4.6 percent of the global arms trade.
A Chinese Air Force in All but Name
Pakistan’s air arm has seen its sharpest overhaul thanks to China. Islamabad has purchased J-10C fighter jets, widely regarded as carrying modern radar and long-range missiles, and the Chinese-built JF-17 Thunder Block-3 is also part of its fleet. Looking ahead, Pakistan has finalised a deal to bring China’s J-35 (FC-31) stealth fighter into service — a deal confirmed by the Pakistan Air Force chief himself, making the country the first buyer of this fifth-generation Chinese stealth aircraft. China claims the jet can slip past radar undetected.
Drones, Missiles and Air-Defence Hardware
The partnership runs well beyond fighter jets. To carry out its operations, Pakistan has also acquired Chinese drones such as the Wing Loong-2, CH-4 and CH-5, which it has used to smuggle weapons into India and to spy on Indian border areas. In missiles and air defence, too, China remains its largest partner: PL-15 air-to-air missiles came from China, while HQ-9P and HQ-16 air-defence systems form part of Pakistan’s shield. Just how effective those systems really are, however, was laid bare before the whole world during Operation Sindoor.
On Land and at Sea, the Same Story
Pakistan’s ground forces are being rapidly re-equipped with Chinese hardware as well. The clearest example is the VT-4, also called the Al-Haider tank, now replacing the army’s older tanks. Beyond that, the SH-15 truck-mounted howitzer and the Fatah-1 and Fatah-2 rocket systems have all reached Pakistan with Chinese help. More recently, China supplied Z-10ME attack helicopters, seen as a replacement for the army’s ageing American Cobra helicopters. At sea, China’s footprint is just as deep — the largest defence pact between the two is the Hangor-class submarine deal, based on China’s Yuan-class design, while Tughril-class frigates also serve in the Pakistan Navy, warships fitted with silos, torpedoes and air-defence systems.
Not China Alone — From Turkey to Europe
Beyond China, Turkey figures prominently among Pakistan’s weapons partners. Reports say Ankara has not only handed over drones but is also helping Pakistan build warships and modernise its submarines. In Europe, the Netherlands has supplied maritime surveillance and patrol vessels. France once gave Pakistan Mirage fighter jets and submarines, though it has signed no fresh defence deal with Islamabad since. Meanwhile, Britain, Italy, Germany and Sweden continue to provide some technical equipment, helicopters, radar and defence systems.
