Highlighting operational challenges encountered during the Indian Navy’s deployment on the western seaboard in Operation Sindoor, Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, pointed to a critical vulnerability in the use of counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) jammers aboard naval vessels.
Speaking to The Statesman on the sidelines of Ran Samvad 2025 at the Army War College in Mhow, he explained that while these systems are essential in neutralising hostile drones, their deployment has exposed a technical drawback—interference with the Navy’s own radar systems. “Our warships are already crowded with equipment, and the electromagnetic environment is dense. Adding more transmitting systems like jammers risks disrupting our own radar capabilities,” he said, emphasising the need for careful system integration and electromagnetic management going forward.
Recalling the deployment of warships as the conflict began, the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff revealed that the Indian Navy had already positioned a significant number of assets along the western seaboard for a planned exercise when the Pahalgam terror attack shifted the tactical consideration.
Stating that the Navy swiftly anticipated the possibility of military escalation, Sobti said, “Within 96 hours, all operational ships were deployed at sea. We returned to harbour to replenish our ammunition, since ships are not always fully loaded for various operational and technical reasons, and ensured that all ships and submarines were topped up and ready before sailing out.”
“We embarked 15 MiG-29s on our new aircraft carrier Vikrant and were ready at sea. The aim was to maintain a forward and deterrent posture, so that the navy of the other side neither threatens us nor our trade lines, our economic lifelines, or our coastline in any way.”
“We were successful in pushing the Pakistani Navy back to its own coastline. They had no freedom of manoeuvre and did not dare venture out. We maintained that posture, and the Navy was fully ready,” he said.
Adding that Operation Sindoor offered many lessons not only for the Navy but for the armed forces as a whole, Sobti said some measures have already been implemented, while a few others are being rapidly put into effect. “We are not looking purely at lessons learned from this limited operation. We are trying to examine a much wider field — the impact of technology as seen in conflicts over the past few years.”
When asked about the Indian Navy’s intended targets during Operation Sindoor, Sobti declined to reveal any specifics, citing operational sensitivities. “The operation is paused, and I certainly don’t want to give them the list of targets that are in the crosshair,” he said. “So I think we’ll reserve that, principally because we don’t want to show our hand at this stage.” Emphasising that Operation Sindoor is ongoing, he added, “Tomorrow will not be like yesterday.”
The Vice Admiral also added that there was a need to enhance long-range precision strike capabilities and counter-drone defences. “One of the key takeaways is the use of long-range vectors, the ability to influence land and sea-based targets without crossing into enemy territory. The Navy is very much into that. And therefore, military targets, as well as economic targets on land, which have always been a priority for us, become a higher priority. This means that we need to go in for longer-range vectors which are capable of land attack,” he said.
Another emerging threat highlighted by Operation Sindoor is the proliferation of low-cost unmanned aerial systems (UAVs). Drawing parallels from the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Sobti emphasised the urgency of developing indigenous counter-drone systems. “The use of drones has become ubiquitous, and many times these are low-cost. Warships, which are equipped with expensive surface-to-air missiles running into millions of dollars, cannot really afford to expend their limited arsenal on a handful of low-cost UAVs. We have to develop systems, especially counter-UAV and counter-UA systems, which will help us take down the low-cost systems that the enemy might throw at us,” he said.