Big spends, no action: Pakistan Navy stayed anchored during India's Operation Sindoor

India’s Operation Sindoor exposed Pakistan’s naval inaction despite an 18% defence budget hike. As India responded to the Pahalgam terror attack, experts questioned Pakistan’s maritime readiness and rising military spending. 

Pakistan Navy inactive during India’s Operation Sindoor

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New Delhi: In May 2025, as India responded decisively to a devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Pakistan announced a substantial increase in its defence spending, allocating Rs 265.97 billion ($950 million) to the Navy— an 18% jump from the previous year.

This surge was part of Islamabad's broader 20% expansion of military expenditure, ostensibly aimed at matching India's rapidly modernising armed forces.

Yet, when confronted with a real-time maritime crisis during India's Operation Sindoor, the Pakistani Navy conspicuously chose to remain anchored, raising critical questions about the actual operational readiness behind its increased military spending.

Operation Sindoor was India's strategic response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack, widely condemned internationally and traced conclusively to Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF).

With credible evidence of Islamabad's complicity, India swiftly initiated a calibrated naval deployment aimed at deterring further cross-border aggression and protecting its citizens from future threats.

The Indian Navy mobilised an impressive force of 36 warships, spearheaded by the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

This formidable naval presence positioned itself decisively near Karachi, enforcing a de facto blockade that severely limited Pakistan's naval manoeuvrability and demonstrated India's resolve to prevent terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil.

Senior officials from India's defence and security establishment confirmed the gravity of the operation, explicitly identifying Karachi as a potential operational target due to its strategic significance.

A senior Indian defence official explained: "Operation Sindoor was designed as a precise deterrent against continued Pakistani-sponsored terrorism. Our naval deployment served as a strong message that India will not tolerate cross-border terror and stands ready to defend its national interests robustly."

Despite Pakistan's significant investments in naval modernisation — including plans to induct over 50 new vessels such as Chinese-built Hangor-class submarines and Type 054A/P frigates — its naval forces remained entirely passive, anchored securely within their harbours.

This inaction starkly contrasted with Pakistan's aggressive rhetoric and raised legitimate questions about Islamabad's strategic priorities and the efficacy of its multi-billion-dollar naval spending spree.

A senior security establishment officer noted bluntly: "Pakistan's Navy was missing in action precisely when its operational credibility mattered most. They had spent heavily on new submarines and advanced warships, yet none were deployed. This suggests a troubling gap between capability on paper and real-world deterrence."

Strategic experts echo these concerns, highlighting the profound implications of Pakistan's naval inertia.

A senior naval analyst stated, "Islamabad's inability to deploy even minimal naval deterrence despite massive investments severely undermines its maritime credibility, and the consequences will likely reverberate throughout the region."

The stark contrast between Indian and Pakistani naval readiness during Operation Sindoor highlights a fundamental divergence in strategic approaches.

India's decisive maritime action was the result of careful planning, indigenous capability development, and robust naval training, all of which were anchored firmly within international law and moral legitimacy.

Conversely, Pakistan's reaction — or rather the absence thereof —highlighted a strategic paralysis despite heavy reliance on imported military platforms.

Security analysts warn that unless Pakistan urgently revises its naval strategy, its expensive but operationally dormant naval force risks becoming a liability rather than an asset.

"Continuing down this path," said a senior strategic observer, "will leave Islamabad vulnerable and ill-equipped to deter future maritime actions effectively."

India's morally justified and carefully measured response via Operation Sindoor sent a powerful message against cross-border terrorism and also inadvertently exposed serious deficiencies in Pakistan's naval preparedness —raising urgent questions about the prudence and effectiveness of its escalating defence expenditure.