‘They know what will happen’: Top Indian navy official hints at Karachi strike capability in warning

In a rare and pointed message, Vice Admiral AN Pramod, Director General Naval Operations, warned Pakistan against further provocation, revealing for the first time the full scope of the Indian Navy’s posture during Operation Sindoor. 

“If they dare to escalate things, they know what is going to happen,” he said, underscoring the Navy’s preparedness to strike both at sea and on land—including Karachi—at a time of India’s choosing.

The Navy’s actions, described as “measured, proportionate, non-escalatory, and responsible,” nonetheless carried overwhelming weight. Carrier battle groups, surface combatants, submarines, and maritime air assets were deployed with full combat readiness within 96 hours of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. 

The Vice Admiral confirmed that these units conducted multiple weapon firings in the Arabian Sea to validate the force’s precision strike capability.

According to Pramod, this show of force virtually boxed the Pakistan Navy into port. “The forward deployment of the Indian Navy compelled Pakistani naval and air units to remain in a defensive posture, mostly inside harbours or very close to the coast, which we monitored continuously,” he said.

He credited India's maritime domain awareness grid with giving the Navy “good battle space transparency,” allowing for seamless tracking of Pakistan’s movements and reinforcing India's escalation control mechanisms.

Importantly, Vice Admiral Pramod highlighted the close coordination among the three services. “The application of force by the Navy was planned in a synchronised manner in coordination with the Army and Air Force,” he said. 

The integrated approach, he added, was central to India’s calibrated response and contributed to Pakistan’s decision to seek a ceasefire.