You dont have javascript enabled! Please enable it! Indian Navy Poised for Prominent Role in Next Conflict With Pakistan, Claims Pakistani Maritime Security Expert - Indian Defence Research Wing
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SOURCE: AFI

In a recent analysis, Muhammad Shareh Qazi, a Lahore-based maritime security expert, warned of the “high probability” that India could target Pakistan’s naval installations on land in any future escalation between the two countries. Qazi emphasized that such an offensive could include strikes on radar stations and naval aircraft, describing the possibility as “alarming.”

The Indian Navy, while the smallest among India’s three military services, is also perceived as the most aggressive. According to Qazi, if the Navy is tasked with leading the next round of operations — a scenario he claims has already been confirmed — it will likely deploy its MiG-29K fighter aircraft to strike Pakistani naval assets. The primary target would likely be the Karachi Port and nearby naval facilities, which form the backbone of Pakistan’s maritime defense.

Qazi further pointed out that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would likely be deployed to defend the critical Karachi coastline. Any Indian Navy offensive, therefore, could lead to direct aerial engagements between Indian Navy MiG-29Ks and PAF fighters — a scenario that could rapidly escalate.

While commenting on recent statements by Indian Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Qazi noted that there was ambiguity about the Indian Navy’s exact role — whether it would focus on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) or undertake offensive action. However, he added a stark warning: “Should the Indian Navy play a substantial role in operations against Pakistan following the next crisis, then the element of escalation control practically disappears. Any ship-on-ship, or ship-on-land engagement will imply that India and Pakistan are at war.”

This assessment highlights growing regional tensions and the Indian Navy’s evolving role in India’s military doctrine, particularly in high-intensity scenarios involving Pakistan. Indian naval exercises and forward deployments in the Arabian Sea have increasingly focused on rapid power projection and offensive maritime operations.

If Qazi’s forecast materializes, it would mark a shift in India’s strategic calculus — elevating the Navy from a supportive role to a frontline actor in the subcontinent’s next military crisis.

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