(Image source from: ANI)

The fleet of the Indian Navy had received their designated target packets and was placed on high alert, ready to launch land-attack missiles aimed at various locations within Pakistan multiple times during Operation Sindoor. However, the final directive to proceed with the strikes was never issued. Sources indicate that "the Navy refrained from executing an attack on the designated targets, which encompassed Pakistani Navy vessels and submarines in port, as well as land-based sites." Initiating a comprehensive naval assault would have represented a considerable escalation in military confrontations during Operation Sindoor. Potential targets in Pakistan, such as the Pakistani Navy ships stationed at Karachi harbor, were set to be struck with BrahMos missiles and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missiles, likely of the Klub series, which are compatible with India’s Russian-manufactured Kilo-class submarines. "Both surface ships and submarines were ready to deploy anti-ship and land-attack missiles."

During the period of military confrontations between India and Pakistan, the Pakistani Navy's primary assets, including frigates and corvettes, remained confined to harbor and refrained from setting sail. According to NDTV, several of these vessels could have been incapacitated at port had the command to engage been given to the Navy. Although the Indian Navy’s vessels, which possess a significant qualitative superiority over the Pakistani Navy, did not fire, it has been revealed that naval weaponry was utilized from land installations to target terrorist facilities and other sites within Pakistan, though the specific systems employed have not been detailed. The Indian Navy's control over the northern Arabian Sea hinged on the presence of the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier strike group and its embedded MiG-29K fighter jets, thereby ensuring air dominance over the southern coast of Pakistan. "The carrier battle group’s presence also pressured Pakistani aerial assets, which had virtually no presence over the sea."

In the days following the cessation of military hostilities between India and Pakistan, the INS Vikrant battle group monitored a Pakistani Navy RAS-72 Sea Eagle, a variant of the ATR-72 turbo-prop aircraft designed for maritime patrol. "The solitary Pakistani reconnaissance plane that took to the skies was effectively monitored and swiftly engaged by a MiG-29K, compelling it to retreat towards the coast." The Indian Navy’s MiG-29K, launched from INS Vikrant, managed to maneuver close to the Pakistani Navy aircraft, forcing it to return. Operation Sindoor consisted of a sequence of aerial and missile strikes executed by the Indian Armed Forces on May 6-7, targeting at least nine sites associated with Pakistani terrorist infrastructure. This operation was in response to the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians.