With a helping hand from China, Pakistan Navy is rapidly growing its fleet by adding at least 50 vessels, including 20 major ships as part of an ambitious modernisation plan, said the country’s outgoing Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, PTI reported.

According to the report, the announcement was made in the outgoing Admiral’s farewell speech over the state-run Radio Pakistan. “This project will transform us from a submarine-operating Navy to a submarine-building one,” he said.

He added that the under the Hangor submarine project carried out with China, four submarines are being made by each partner. Apart from these Chinese warships, Islamabad will procure as many as Turkish medium-class ships between 2023 and 2025, stated the PTI report.

The outgoing chief also that said his primary focus had been on transforming the Pakistan Navy into a combat-ready force, with special emphasis on optimum battle preparedness and professional competence.

Abbasi handed over the command to the new naval chief Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi on Wednesday in a ceremony held at PNS Zafar in Islamabad.

Admiral Niazi, who was commissioned in the Operations Branch of Pakistan Navy in 1985, has previously served as principal secretary to the chief of the naval staff, head of F-22P Mission China, deputy chief of naval staff (training and evaluation), and director-general of naval intelligence, the report said citing Pakistan Navy.

India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads for decades now. At a time when India is already engaged in a standoff with China on its northern border, the looming risk of a two-front war with China and Pakistan has become a real possibility.

Thousands of troops and heavy artillery is deployed in Eastern Ladakh. The Indian defence officials have reiterated that India stands fully prepared for the war with two of its neighbours.