After Operation Sindoor, Pakistan navy struggles with ageing fleet, crippled readiness and low morale

Pakistan’s multi-origin naval procurement strategy, from the US, UK, China, and Turkey, has turned into a logistical nightmare.

In the weeks following India’s Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan Navy is quietly slipping into one of its worst operational crises in decades. With just two submarines reportedly functional, several warships stuck in port, and a clear lack of morale among sailors and officers, Pakistan’s naval fleet appears ill-prepared for any meaningful deployment in the Arabian Sea, CNN-News18 has reported, citing sources and maritime data.

This comes at a time when the Indian Navy has visibly expanded its presence, increasing patrols and exercises near Pakistani waters, which remain largely uncontested.

Ships that don’t sail: The pier-side reality in Karachi

According to CNN-News18, open-source maritime tracking data shows that most of Pakistan’s surface combat ships are berthed at the Karachi Naval Base, not out at sea.

The reasons are layered:

• Ageing vessels, particularly the Type-21 frigates acquired from the UK in the 1990s, are demanding costly and frequent repairs.
• Spare parts are scarce, and original manufacturers have stopped support for older systems.
• Newer additions to the fleet, including Chinese-origin Type-054A frigates, are also reportedly facing technical issues, especially with radar systems and propulsion, forcing repeated shipyard visits.

CNN-News18 reports that Pakistan’s multi-origin naval procurement strategy, from the US, UK, China, and Turkey, has turned into a logistical nightmare. Each ship requires a different set of maintenance protocols, spare parts, and trained personnel.

The Karachi shipyard lacks the advanced diagnostic tools and proprietary software needed for newer Chinese ships, and attempts to partner with Chinese firms for repairs have stalled due to high costs and tech-transfer restrictions.

These problems are made worse by severe financial constraints, leading to delayed or cancelled maintenance schedules.

Young officers, no sea time

Beyond hardware, the human side of the crisis is equally worrying. Young naval officers, fresh from academy training, are being posted to ships that remain docked for months, CNN-News18’s sources said. This has created a generation of sailors with limited real-world, sea-going experience, further weakening operational readiness.

With most platforms grounded or under maintenance, training opportunities are shrinking, and morale has taken a hit post-Operation Sindoor, where India reportedly struck terror targets inside Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Cancelled drills and a credibility crisis

Pakistan has reportedly rescheduled or cancelled several military exercises, including multilateral drills, due to vessel unavailability, the report adds. This has damaged its credibility as a naval partner in the region.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy continues to increase its patrol footprint, engaging with key allies, and effectively treating Pakistani waters as a non-contested zone.

Strategic fallout: Gwadar’s security in question

The crisis has serious strategic implications:

• China’s massive investments in Gwadar Port and other maritime infrastructure hinge on Pakistan’s ability to offer naval security.
• Without a credible naval deterrent, these assets remain vulnerable.
• Regionally, India’s rising dominance at sea is being met with a vacuum on the Pakistani side, shifting the maritime balance in South Asia.  Bottom line What was once a functional, if modest, maritime force now appears stuck in a downward spiral. A combination of old ships, poor logistics, rising maintenance backlogs, and shaken morale has left the Pakistan Navy adrift at a critical time.