3 min readPanajiApr 2, 2026 07:05 AM IST
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Wednesday said the Indian Navy was “minutes away” from striking Pakistan from the sea during Operation Sindoor.
Speaking at the Naval Investiture Ceremony in Mumbai, where he presented gallantry and distinguished service awards to Indian Navy personnel, Admiral Tripathi said: “Operation Sindoor demonstrated exemplary readiness and resolve of our Navy, as our units undertook swift deployment and maintained a highly aggressive posture throughout the period. It is now not a hidden fact that we were just minutes away from striking Pakistan from sea, when they requested a stoppage of kinetic action. Through swift and resolute actions during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Navy reinforced the nation’s confidence and trust in its capabilities”.
The Navy chief said seas are no longer secondary theatres where continental conflicts spill over, and recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz underline this. “We have gathered here at a time when the global order is marked by increasing fragmentation and friction. In such an environment, the seas are no longer secondary theatres where continental conflicts spill over,” he said.
“Instead, they are becoming the first arena where strategic intent is signalled and contested, often with disproportionate consequences,” he said.
“Recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz bring this into sharp focus. Since the start of the conflict… more than 23 merchant vessels have been attacked, nearly 1,900 vessels remain stranded and daily traffic has fallen to just 6–7 transits, compared to a pre-conflict average of about 130,” he said.
He said the prevailing maritime environment demands careful alignment of functional agility and farsightedness at the organisational level, combat readiness and operational effectiveness at the unit level, and professional excellence anchored in boldness and judgement at the individual level.
“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 Honourable Prime Minister during the historic 17-hour overnight embarkation with the Indian Navy on the Western Seaboard. At the same time, the Indian Navy upheld India’s commitment as a first responder in the region through various HADR [Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief] missions undertaken at short notice and in challenging conditions — from Operation Brahma in Myanmar to Operation Sagar Bandhu in Sri Lanka, just to name a few,” he said.
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He added that a sustained focus on ‘Atmanirbharta’ has “enabled us to complete our transformation to a ‘Builder’s Navy’ and helped us gain strong momentum in capability induction, with commissioning of 12 ships and submarines in a single year.”
