In the days following the Pahalgam terror attack, India’s response was not just swift, it was historic in its scale and integration. ‘Operation Sindoor’ marked the first time India simultaneously leveraged its Army, Air Force, and Navy in a seamlessly coordinated campaign that combined precision military strikes, advanced air defence, and a formidable naval blockade. While the world watched for signs of escalation, India’s tri-service synergy demonstrated a new level of operational maturity and technological self-reliance, with indigenous platforms at the forefront.
At sea, the Indian Navy’s 36-ship armada, led by INS Vikrant and BrahMos-equipped destroyers, did more than showcase maritime strength; it served as a linchpin in a broader strategy that boxed in Pakistan’s military options. The Karachi port’s blockade and the naval forces’ forward deployment neutralised potential threats. It forced the Pakistan Navy into a passive, defensive posture, exposing its chronic dependence on foreign-built platforms and lack of credible blue-water capability.
By integrating real-time intelligence, decisive leadership, and multi-domain operations, India’s response to the Pahalgam attack set a new benchmark for crisis management and deterrence in South Asia. The operation’s success pointed to a persistent asymmetry—while India projected power and maintained escalation dominance, Pakistan’s navy was left scrambling for relevance, confined to its harbours, unable to contest control of the Arabian Sea, and reliant on international mediation for de-escalation.
The Indian Navy promptly deployed its carrier battle group, surface ships, submarines, and aviation assets with full combat readiness, demonstrating both determination and the capacity to launch strikes as required.
Director General of Naval Operations (DGNO) Vice Admiral A.N Pramod during one of the press briefings in New Delhi said, “In the aftermath of the cowardly attacks on innocent tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani sponsored terrorists on 22nd April, the Indian Navy’s Carrier battle group, surface forces, submarines and aviation assets were immediately deployed at sea with full combat readiness…”
He added that the Indian Navy tested and refined tactics and procedures at sea during multiple weapon firings in the Arabian Sea within 96 hours of the terrorist attack.
“Our forces remained forward deployed in the Northern Arabian Sea in a decisive and deterrent posture with full readiness and capacity to strike select targets at sea and on land, including Karachi, at a time of our choosing,” Vice Admiral Pramod said.
Vice Admiral Pramod added, “The forward deployment of the Indian Navy compelled Pakistani naval and air units to be in a defensive posture, mostly inside harbours or very close to the coast, which we monitored continuously.”
This rapid mobilisation was a key element of ‘Operation Sindoor’, a comprehensive tri-service initiative that featured seamless coordination among the Navy, Army, and Air Force. The Navy’s forward positioning in the northern Arabian Sea was both measured and proportionate, maintaining the ability to target select objectives at sea and on land.
INS Vikrant, leading a powerful contingent of destroyers, frigates, and submarines, established an overwhelming Indian maritime presence that forced the Pakistan Navy and Air Force into a defensive posture.
Maintaining comprehensive maritime domain awareness, the Indian Navy continuously tracked Pakistani naval movements. Anticipating a potential Indian offensive after the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan issued NAVAREA warnings, indicating their apprehension. Pakistan’s numerically and technologically limited surface fleet, lacking aircraft carriers and destroyers and supported by an ageing submarine arm, adheres to a defensive doctrine, keeping its ships close to shore and unable to contest India’s forward deployment.
Persistent integration and maintenance challenges further hampered the Pakistan Navy’s readiness and operational cohesion. In contrast, the Indian Navy’s swift and coordinated response, featuring a carrier battle group and advanced systems, demonstrated its qualitative and quantitative superiority, securing uncontested control over the northern Arabian Sea. This overwhelming posture during Operation Sindoor, a tri-service campaign, compelled Pakistan to seek a ceasefire, laying bare the asymmetry and lack of credible deterrence in its navy compared to India’s forward presence and readiness.
(Aritra Banerjee is a naval author and a defence columnist)