Elaborating on the Indian Navy’s role during Operation Sindoor, Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said that his troops’ aggressive posturing forced the Pakistan Navy to remain close to their ports. Among the impacts of Operation Sindoor was the fact that it put financial strain on Pakistan, as a significant number of merchant ships avoided travelling to that country following the hostilities, he pointed out.
The Indian Navy’s decision to deploy a carrier battle group forced the Pakistan Navy to make no move but to remain in the safety of the Makran coast, he said. The Navy Chief said the Indian Navy maintained a high operational readiness, including in the western Arabian Sea, in the last seven to eight months following the hostilities with Pakistan.
The Navy Chief, without elaborating, said Operation Sindoor “remains in progress”. “The aggressive posturing and immediate action during Operation Sindoor, including deployment of the carrier battle group, forced the Pakistan Navy to remain close to their ports or near the Makran coast,” he said.
“It (Op Sindoor) is an operation which still remains in progress and, therefore, many operational details cannot be put out in the open domain for obvious reasons,” he said.
The cost of insurance for vessels travelling to Pakistan had also gone up, he said, adding that there was a 10–15 per cent drop in trade to Pakistan during Op Sindoor. He was quoted as saying this by news agency PTI. “Many major shipping companies avoided Pakistani ports. There was an increase in insurance premiums for ships going to Pakistan’s ports, which led to a reduction in the number of merchant ships willing to take the risk,” he said.
Admiral Tripathi also said that the Indian Navy did not notice any Chinese support to the Pakistan Navy during Operation Sindoor but noted that it is widely known that the Pakistani military uses Chinese-manufactured weapons.
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The Navy Chief said the INS Vikrant carrier battle group played a key role in confining the Pakistan Navy to its ports and the Makran coast. “We continue to maintain a high tempo of operations, including in the northern Arabian Sea, and robust maritime domain awareness so that we can swiftly respond to any eventuality,” he said.
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He also responded to a question on the activities of Chinese research vessels in the Indian Ocean Region by saying that the Indian Navy keeps a strict vigil on all such actions and that there is no need for concern. “The Indian Navy is aware of all activities, and not just China’s. We take appropriate action as per the government’s directions. There is no need to be concerned,” he said.
Operation Sindoor was India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which saw Indian armed forces target terror hubs in Pakistan and PoK. An escalation resulted in the destruction of several of Pakistan’s air bases and installations. The four-day operation demonstrated the multi-domain capability of the Indian armed forces.
