Pakistan Navy conducts drills to counter sub-conventional, asymmetric threats

The Pakistan Navy conducted a two-day exercise aimed at countering sub-conventional and asymmetric threats across all major ports and harbours, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

The naval drills were held against the backdrop of heightened tensions with India, following four days of cross-border clashes before a ceasefire agreement on May 10. On Friday, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India would employ the “firepower of their navy” in response to any future aggression by Pakistan.

The naval fleet conducted a comprehensive two-day exercise focusing on countering sub-conventional and asymmetric threats across all major ports and harbours, said the Pakistan Navy’s Director General Public Relations Commodore Ahmed Hussain in a statement.

“The exercises were aimed at validating and refining tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) to ensure robust defence of critical maritime infrastructure against evolving asymmetric threats,” he said.

“The exercise involved coordinated operations by PN [Pakistan Navy] Fleet units, Pak Marines, SSG [Navy] and Naval Aviation assets.”

The statement said that the exercise scenarios were designed to simulate a range of sub-conventional threats including sabotage, infiltration and unconventional attacks to enable participating units to enhance inter-agency coordination, situational awareness and rapid response capabilities.

Commander Coast (Comcoast) Rear Admiral Faisal Amin visited key operational setups at ports and harbours during the Pakistan Navy’s recently concluded two-day exercise. He witnessed live-action simulations carried out by participating units.

Comcoast Amin commended the high level of preparedness and professional conduct demonstrated during the exercises, the statement said. He highlighted importance of maritime installations with the safe functioning of ports and harbours directly linked to national economic stability and growth.

“Pakistan Navy remains committed to maintaining a high state of readiness to respond to all forms of threats and continues to strengthen its capacity to defend the maritime frontiers against emerging challenges,” the statement said.