India and Pakistan conduct concurrent naval exercises off Gujarat coast

India and Pakistan are set to conduct separate naval exercises in the Arabian Sea from Aug 11-12, according to defence sources.

The exercises, nearly 4 months after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack and India’s resultant ‘Operation Sindoor’, are being conducted just days before their respective Independence day celebrations.

As per protocol, both navies issued separate advisories or Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for live-firing exercises in the Arabian Sea during the same period.

Is it business as usual or do the overlapping drills in such close proximity to each other’s maritime zones signal a strategic shift in the two nations’ thinking? Remember, the Arabian Sea is not only a key route for maritime trade but also crucial to regional security.

Moreover, India’s audacious ‘Operation Sindoor’ is technically still ongoing after both sides only agreed to halt firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and suspend further military action on May 10.

Details about the kind of exercises to be carried out or which weapon systems will be tested are not known. But reports suggest that the Indian Navy’s drills will involve surface warfare manoeuvres, missile firing, and anti-submarine operations.

This would mark the second major naval exercises to be carried out by the Indian Navy in recent days. The Indian Navy last week conducted the two-day Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The exercises marked a significant step forward in defence cooperation between Manila and New Delhi.