SOURCE: AFI
According to report in the NDTV, Indian Navy had meticulously planned a decisive strike on Pakistani warships stationed at Karachi’s dry docks and harbor during the height of Operation Sindoor, which began on May 7, 2025. Equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles on surface warships and Klub missiles on Kilo-class submarines, the Navy was on the brink of launching a devastating assault. However, the operation was aborted as Pakistan urgently sought a ceasefire, averting a potential escalation that could have crippled its naval capabilities.
Following India’s retaliatory airstrikes under Operation Sindoor, triggered by the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, the Indian Navy positioned its Western Fleet, including the INS Vikrant-led carrier battle group, within striking range of Karachi. Intelligence indicated that Pakistani warships, including frigates and submarines, were concentrated at the Karachi dry docks and harbor, a critical hub for the Pakistan Navy. The plan involved targeting these assets to neutralize Pakistan’s maritime threat and disrupt its economic lifeline, as Karachi handles 60% of the country’s trade.
The Navy’s arsenal included BrahMos missiles, with an extended-range variant tested in 2024 boasting a reach of over 800 km, mounted on destroyers like the Visakhapatnam-class and frigates of the Talwar-class. Additionally, Kilo-class submarines, armed with Klub missiles capable of striking land and sea targets up to 300 km, were assigned specific high-value targets. This dual-threat approach aimed to overwhelm Pakistan’s defenses, leveraging the BrahMos’s Mach 3 speed and the Klub’s stealth underwater launch capability.
The operation reached a critical juncture by May 10, 2025, when Pakistan, facing mounting pressure from India’s tri-service offensive—comprising airstrikes, artillery, and naval posturing—requested a ceasefire. Sources suggest that the intensity of India’s military response, including the Navy’s combat-ready deployment, forced Islamabad to back down. The Indian Navy had placed its assets on hot standby, with target packages pre-assigned, but the order to fire never materialized as diplomatic channels, brokered by the United States and European Union, facilitated a de-escalation.
Vice Admiral AN Pramod, Director General of Naval Operations, had earlier hinted at the Navy’s deterrent posture, stating that forces remained ready to strike “at a time of our choosing.” The ceasefire, while preventing a naval engagement, underscored India’s strategic leverage, with the threat of a Karachi strike serving as a powerful deterrent. Pakistan’s confinement of its fleet to harbor, as reported during the operation, further limited its ability to respond.
The aborted strike highlights the Indian Navy’s growing prowess as a blue-water force, capable of projecting power beyond its coastal waters. The BrahMos, with its sea-skimming capability at 3-4 meters above the surface, and the Klub missiles’ subsurface launch potential, posed a near-impossible challenge for Pakistan’s air defenses. Had the attack proceeded, it could have mirrored the devastating 1971 Operation Trident, which sank multiple Pakistani vessels and crippled Karachi’s port infrastructure.
The ceasefire, however, raises questions about the sustainability of such military posturing. Analysts suggest that Pakistan’s plea may reflect a recognition of its naval disadvantage—fewer than 30 warships against India’s 140-vessel fleet—compounded by the presence of Turkish and Chinese-supplied assets that were unable to counter the Indian buildup. The decision to hold back also aligns with India’s stated policy of “measured, proportionate, and non-escalatory” response, avoiding a broader conflict that could invite international intervention.
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