New Delhi: In a rare show of simultaneous military activity, the navies of India and Pakistan are set to hold separate war exercises in the Arabian Sea starting Monday, with drills expected to continue for several days. While both sides have issued Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to mark the exercise areas within their maritime boundaries, details of the participating warships remain undisclosed.
According to defence sources cited by ANI, the Indian Navy will carry out its drills on August 11–12, marking the first such major deployment since Operation Sindoor in May. That operation involved precision airstrikes by India on nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, reportedly killing over 100 militants, including senior members of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Although a ceasefire was signed on May 10, tensions have remained high, with both sides maintaining heightened readiness. During Operation Sindoor, the INS Surat was deployed for the first time at Hazira Port, while the Indian Navy conducted anti-ship and anti-aircraft firing drills and placed the Coast Guard on alert near Gujarat.
India has also been stepping up its maritime capabilities. In late April, the Navy conducted two successful missile tests, one from INS Surat and another from other warships in the Arabian Sea, demonstrating the capability to neutralize targets with BrahMos and Barak-8 missile systems.
Looking ahead, two Project 17A stealth frigates, INS Udaygiri (F35) and INS Himgiri (F34), will be commissioned on August 26 in Visakhapatnam. This will mark the first time India inducts two large warships simultaneously, built at major shipyards in Mumbai and Kolkata.
Military analysts say the upcoming parallel drills by India and Pakistan, though independent, are a clear signal of readiness and deterrence amid a fragile post-ceasefire environment.
