Vice Admiral AN Pramod.
New Delhi: The Indian Navy stands ready to strike targets in Pakistan, including Karachi, should the neighbouring country attempt any retaliatory action following Operation Sindoor, the director general of naval operations (DGNO), Vice Admiral AN Pramod, said on Sunday.
VAdm Pramod delivered an unambiguous message to Pakistan during the joint media briefing by the three services here in the national capital. He warned of severe consequences if Pakistan decides to escalate tensions after India’s successful anti-terror operation codenamed Operation Sindoor.
“This time if Pakistan dares to take any action, Pakistan knows what we are going to do,” the DGNO stated emphatically during the briefing that was led by the director general military operations, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai. The director general air operations (DGAO), Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, also briefed the media.
The naval operations chief emphasized that while military forces primarily aim to prevent war and maintain peace and stability, India’s response mechanism follows a calibrated approach that can be intensified if provoked. “Our response is a graded response. That means if someone does something, we respond in a graded manner,” he explained.
“Our aim is to maintain peace, but let the enemies know that if you do this, our response will be bloody,” he said.
Maritime Dominance Established
ViAdm Pramod revealed that Indian Navy has established a dominant position in the northern Arabian Sea, maintaining a deterrent posture with full capability to strike selected targets both at sea and on land, including Pakistan’s largest port city, Karachi.
“Indian Navy forces remain deployed in the northern Arabian Sea in a deterrent posture with a full capacity to strike select targets at sea and land, including Karachi at time our choosing,” the DGNO confirmed.
This strategic positioning has effectively neutralized Pakistani naval capabilities, forcing them into a defensive stance. “The forward deployment of our Navy compelled the Pakistan Navy and air units to be in a defensive posture, mostly in harbour or near the coast,” the DGNO noted.
He further added that the Navy has maintained comprehensive maritime awareness throughout the operation, tracking the location and movement of all Pakistani naval units.
Quantitative and Qualitative Superiority
In what military analysts consider one of his most pointed warnings, VAdm Pramod declared that India possesses both quantitative and qualitative advantages that would enable it to deliver a devastating strike if required.
“First of all, as I mentioned, we have quantitative and qualitative [advantages] to deliver a massive blow to our adversary. And we completely dominate in the maritime front,” the naval operations chief asserted.
His statement that “the response will be bloody” if Pakistan attempts any action has been interpreted by defence experts as a clear indicator of India’s resolve to protect its territorial integrity and respond decisively to any provocation.
Naval Strategy Part of Larger Defence Framework
VAdm Pramod clarified that the Navy’s actions are integrated into a broader strategic framework developed jointly by all three services. “Indian Navy action is part of the escalation ladder mechanism we have worked out amongst three services,” he explained.
This coordinated approach demonstrates the comprehensive nature of India’s defence preparations, with each service branch prepared to play its role in national security operations.
