The subs are in addition to Chinese-made J10-C fighter jets, which were war-tested for the first time during last year's Pakistan-India conflict.

Pakistan and ​China are longtime allies ⁠and their defence cooperation has been enhanced since the conflict erupted.

Islamabad says the Chinese-made planes were part of its air assault that downed India's French-made Rafale fighter ⁠jets last summer.

A ‌ceremony to commission the first of the submarines, which will be called Hangor, was held in ‌Sanya, China, with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and naval chief Admiral ⁠Naveed Ashraf in attendance, the military statement said.

It didn't mention the number of submarines involved ‌or any further details.

A Pakistani government official said ‌the fleet would consist of eight submarines; four would ‌be made in China and delivered to Islamabad, while ‌another four will be made in Pakistan under a transfer-of-technology program.

"We will also be in a position to offer their exports under our ⁠defence production ⁠in future," he said.

Ashraf called it "an important milestone to bolster our maritime defence and modernize our fleet with cutting-edge technology."

Hangor class submarines - armed with state-of-the-art weapons, advanced sensors and air-independent propulsion - will be a key to preserving maritime order and stability in the region and play a role in ​deterring aggression, Ashraf said.

The news on the submarines came ​after Pakistan tested a number ​of missiles in recent weeks.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since ​their independence from British rule in 1947.