When India’s warships took position in the sea during Operation Sindoor last year, they were not there to signal. They were minutes away from firing. Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, said this plainly at the Naval Investiture Ceremony on Wednesday. Pakistan, he said, requested a halt to kinetic actions just as the Navy stood at the threshold of striking it from the sea.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April that year, in which 26 people were killed. The tri-services operation targeted nine major terrorist camps in Pakistan and the Pakistan-occupied territory. What has now come into sharper focus is how far the Indian Navy was prepared to go, and how little time Pakistan had before it did.
“It is not a hidden fact anymore that we were just minutes away from striking Pakistan from sea, when they requested the stoppage of kinetic actions,” Admiral Tripathi said.
How the Navy positioned itself during Operation Sindoor
The Navy moved with speed and resolve the moment the operation was activated. Units were swiftly deployed and maintained what the Admiral described as a “highly aggressive posture throughout the period.”
“Operation Sindoor demonstrated exemplary readiness and resolve of the Indian Navy, as our units undertook swift deployment and maintained a highly aggressive posture throughout the period,” he said.
“Through swift and resolute actions during the Op Sindoor, the Indian Navy reinforced the nation’s confidence and trust in its capabilities. Besides Op Sindoor and the relentless operational tempo through the year, we were also very proud to showcase the breadth and depth of our operational capabilities to the Hon’ble Prime Minister during a historic 17-hour overnight embarkation with the Indian Navy on the Western Seaboard,” he said.
Commissioning, combat readiness and regional relief
Admiral Tripathi outlined a year in which the Navy operated across multiple fronts simultaneously. Twelve ships and submarines were commissioned in a single year, a pace he linked to the Aatmanirbharta push and the Navy’s transition into what he called a “Builders Navy.”
“At the same time, the Indian Navy upheld India’s commitment as a First Responder in the region, through various HADR missions undertaken at short notice and in challenging conditions – from Operation Brahma in Myanmar, to Operation Sagar Bandhu in Sri Lanka. Sustained focus on Aatmanirbharta not only enabled us to complete our transformation to a Builders Navy but also helped us gain strong momentum in capability induction with the commissioning of 12 ships and submarines in a single year,” he said.
“Yet today, we do not merely acknowledge the achievements of the past year – we also honour the enduring success of the Indian Navy, built through sustained efforts and quiet perseverance. At the heart of what we celebrate today lies the enduring foundation of our strength, our people, who through their commitment, character and competence continue to serve the nation with distinction,” he said.