conflict
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has confirmedthat the Indian Navy intentionally kept its major warships in harbourthroughout the May 2025 Operation Sindoor, describing the decision as acalculated blend of force protection and perception management aimed atdenying Pakistan any opportunity to create a propaganda spectacle.
Speaking at a maritime security dialogue on December 2, 2025, AdmiralTripathi elaborated on the strategic reasoning behind the naval postureadopted during the brief but intense border conflict that followedterrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that deploying capitalships into open waters would have handed Pakistani forces the preciseimagery and narrative they sought to portray Indian aggression on the highseas.
The Admiral emphasised that maintaining operational readiness whileremaining inside protected harbours prevented Islamabad from orchestratingstaged encounters or claiming victories against Indian naval assets. Thisapproach, he noted, preserved both the physical security of expensiveplatforms and the broader credibility of India’s maritime forces in thecourt of international opinion.
Operation Sindoor witnessed significant Indian Air Force and Army activityalong the Line of Control and international border, with multipleairstrikes and artillery exchanges reported. The Indian Navy, however,restricted itself to heightened coastal defence alerts and submarinedeployments without surface fleet mobilisation in the Arabian Sea, adeparture from patterns seen in previous crises.
The disclosure comes amid continuing diplomatic efforts to stabiliserelations following the May ceasefire brokered through back-channelnegotiations. Pakistani military officials have consistently claimed thatIndia’s inability to project naval power demonstrated strategic cautionrather than operational limitation.
Indian defence sources maintain that the Navy’s decision to prioritiseasset preservation while maintaining deterrent patrols beneath the surfacereportedly contributed to preventing horizontal escalation during thefour-day confrontation.
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Source:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/navy-chief-on-operation-sindoor/article68923451.ece
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2087654
Tags: India, Pakistan, Indian Navy, Operation Sindoor, Arabian Sea, Tripathi
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