Maritime forces are a cornerstone of national security, traditionally tasked with maintaining ‘Good Order’ at sea to ensure the uninterrupted flow of global maritime trade, over 80% traversing the world’s oceans. For Pakistan, this figure exceeds 90% by volume, underscoring the critical importance of maritime security for the nation’s economic vitality. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS-82), maritime states are mandated to ensure the ‘Innocent Passage’ of international shipping within their areas of responsibility. Beyond trade security, maritime forces also defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and increasingly, are tasked with promoting sustainable practices to conserve marine biodiversity for future generations. To accomplish these enormous tasks, maritime forces are configured, equipped, trained, and continuously evolved to surmount conventional and non-conventional challenges to maintain a pleasing regularity at sea, i.e. Good Order. Pakistan Navy (PN) assumes the leadership role in all these domains.
A delicate balance is maintained through continuous vigilance (Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) to predict, pre-empt, and proactively respond to such events at sea. Especially to dissuade the provocative elements by making the cost of aggression unbearable to the adversary (deterrence). Maintaining good order at sea is a collective effort, especially at high seas. Therefore, the regional maritime players develop and/or become part of regional and international collaborative mechanisms to augment peace and security at sea. To combat non-traditional threats in the maritime domain, PN has been part of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), i.e. CTF 150 (Maritime Security) and CTF-151 (Counter piracy) since 2004 and 2009 respectively. Furthermore, PN also carries out Regional Maritime Security Patrols (RMSP) in and around the Indian Ocean to guard our national maritime interests. Seeing the fast-changing contours of the maritime contestation arena in the Indian Ocean, through a well-articulated developmental strategy, PN has grown into a modern strike force with a distinctive character of combat readiness.
PN, a multidimensional force, is equipped and trained to fight on the surface, underwater, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace. Besides its core mission of seaward defense, it has developed seamless collaboration at the tri-services level to deal with various contingencies, i.e. Sir Creek defenses with the Pak army, Carrier Battle Group (CBG) interdiction missions with PAF, etc., to meet the evolving nature of maritime threats in its entire spectrum. If this equilibrium is disturbed due to any external or internal stimulus, maritime security forces act swiftly and decisively to remake the perimeters of security and regain the balance.
India and Pakistan have been in a ‘No Peace, No War’ situation since their inception due to a variety of unresolved issues, with Kashmir at the core. Since 1948, numerous wars / armed conflicts have taken place over the Kashmir issue. On April 22, 2025 due to the Pahalgam incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJ&K), the situation instantly flared up. It triggered a new wave of allegations by the Indian leadership against Pakistan. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, closed the Attari–Wagah border crossing, downgraded diplomatic staff, and cancelled SAARC visas.
Pakistan condemned the Pahalgam attack and termed India’s response as “unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible, and devoid of legal merit.”
On May 25, India initiated ceasefire violations across the LoC. On the very next day, after a careful evaluation of the security situation, the National Security Committee (NCC), Pakistan vowed to respond forcefully to Indian provocations.
In the maritime domain, unusual assembly of IN fleet units southwest of Mumbai, equipped with BrahMos land attack combatants were seen. The aircraft carrier INS VIKRANT also sailed out to sea from its Karwar base, INS KADAMBA to join this force. On PN side it was seen as a threatening posture in the given circumstances and as a follow-up to post-Pulwama maneuverings.
As the maritime chessboard was being laid out, PN, through a well-choreographed Anti-Access/ Area Denial (A2AD) strategy, swiftly deployed its forces to deter, delay, deny, and disrupt adversaries entering specific areas to be used as launching pads. PN’s anticipatory forward deployment, up scaling of combat readiness, and dispersal of its surface, air, submarine, and marine assets shaped the conflict trajectory in the earliest hours of the standoff, and later, it yielded significant advantages.
The Indian armada, led by INS VIKRANT (like the famous elephant of Raja Porus) was consequently whisked away to safety as was done during the previous Indo-Pak wars.
Reportedly, it took refuge in the Karwar harbor. Their LRMPs P8Is kept hovering in their waters and dared not venture close to Pakistani airspace. PN enjoyed a clear ‘Battle Space Dominance’ during all stages of conflict.
The Indian Navy (IN) prepositioning of its additional fleet units in the western seaboard specially the aircraft carrier and submarines, corroborated the fact that the Pahalgam massacre was not an isolated incident rather a premeditated move like Pulwama and other such staged managed incidents.
Even before the full diplomatic and military fallout had unfolded, the rapid deployment of these assets strongly suggests that contingency plans were already in place, underscoring a level of orchestration that went well beyond mere reaction.
However, it is crucial to recognize that while the Indian Navy adopted an assertive posture, it ultimately refrained from engaging in any direct adventurism at sea. This calculated restraint was not coincidental.
The Indian naval leadership was acutely aware that any attempt to test Pakistan Navy’s defenses would have resulted in sub stantial losses. The Pakistan Navy’s forward deployment, robust anti-access/area denial (A2AD) measures, and heightened state of combat readiness created an operational environment where the risks of escalation far outweighed any potential gains.
It is apt to ponder why PN did not generate aggressive maneuvers against the Indian Navy. The answer is straightforward and clear: Throughout this conflict, Pakistan behaved very responsibly, i.e. did not open up hostilities but instead responded with due care to undertake a calibrated offensive on military targets only. The ‘North Arabian Sea’ maritime space is extensively used by neutral shipping and needs to be given due regard. The Indian Navy did not open the front from the seaward side because A2AD effectively formed a deterrence umbrella at sea.
On May 3, India an nounced that it would cut off all mail and trade routes with Pakistan, ban Pakistani vessels from its ports, and prohibit the Pakistani ships from entering Indian waters. It also declared a prohibition on commercial shipping carrying Pakistani-bound cargo on its entry into Indian harbors/waters. Denying the ‘Innocent Passage’ to international shipping is a clear violation under the UNCLOS-82. The Indian state adopted irresponsible coercive behavior against neutrals. The sole aim was to make Pakistani seaborne trade susceptible to a ‘War Risk Surcharge.’
Despite this pronouncement, international shipping remained confident about its safety in Pakistani waters. Merchant’s vessels continued to arrive at Karachi and Port Qasim with minimal delays due to the shipping companies’ recalibration of cargo schedules.
A few companies resorted to using ‘Feeder Services’ through nearby ports. It underscored the effectiveness of PN’s maritime security measures, which enabled the unhindered flow of trade to Pakistani ports, which is essentially required to sustain our War efforts on land, sea, and air. During the initial days of the conflict, the Indian media widely claimed that the Indian Carrier Strike Group had successfully blockaded Karachi port. However, this assertion was technically flawed on two major counts. First, to enforce an effective blockade, it is essential to neutralize opposing naval forces to a degree that renders resistance unviable, a condition that was not met. Second, in its classical application, the INS VIKRANT led Carrier Strike Group lacked critical components such as nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), a balanced complement of surface combatants, and a robust aircraft contingent, leaving it vulnerable to counterattacks. This move appeared to be a superficial attempt to establish a ‘new normal’ at sea, akin to punitive posturing observed on land and in the air domains. Had the Indian Strike Group ventured closer to Pakistani waters, it would have faced significant operational risks and potential setbacks.
Had the Indian Strike Group ventured close to Pakistani waters, it would have met another embarrassment, i.e. Vikrant would have been dispatched to Davy Jones’s Locker (bottom of the sea).
The post-Pahalgam developments in the maritime domain reaffirmed several enduring doctrinal principles. First, swift and skillful deployment proved to be as vital as firepower in deterring aggression. Second, while “asymmetric advantage” is often associated with technological superiority,in the case of the Pakistan Navy, it was superior strategic ori- entation, doctrinal clarity, decisive leadership, and crew competence that effectively offset any asymmetry.
Above all, the unwavering faith and resolve of the force served as a force multiplier. These attributes collectively enabled the Pakistan Navy to maintain operational dominance and deter adversarial actions, despite facing a numerically superior opponent.
As one reflects on the above events, the truth stands unshaken; in the face of a five-time greater aggressor, the maritime frontier was firmly held with great honor by the Pakistan Navy. PN leadership’s strate gic foresight created paralysis in the Indian naval decision-makers. PN’s superior strategy restricted Indian Navy Fleet’s desired freedom of maneuver in vital areas and during critical moments. PN surface fleet equipped with long-range anti-ship and land attack missiles could give surprises. PN Fleet Submarines, proudly calling themselves “silent prowlers of the deep,” solidified the deterrent shield. Air arms provided consistent surveillance and extended reach that prevented enemy deployment, especially the submarines. Pakistan Marines, along with SSGNs, stood like a metal shield on land to protect vital maritime installations and constrained their freedom of action in the Sir Creek area. PN achieved its greater objective i.e. subdue the enemy without fighting being the supreme art of persuasion; a lesson from Sun Tzu’s ‘Art of War’. In conclusion, Pakistan Navy has emerged as a formidable regional sea-power ascendant with its proven credentials as a regional stabilizing force. It amply demonstrated professionalism anchored in excellence, superior technological skill set and all-in-one operational synergy. The PN has once again reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to national defense. As the first line of seaward defense, PN remains a credible and responsible force, ensuring the security and stability of Pakistan’s maritime frontiers.
