Pakistan Navy commences SEASPARK-2026 exercise to test combat readiness

On Wednesday, the Pakistan Navy kickstarted a significant maritime exercise in Karachi, aiming to evaluate combat readiness against potential threats, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The opening session of the exercise, titled SEASPARK-2026, was led by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and included representatives from other military branches, as reported by the military's media wing in a press release.

The statement highlighted that the exercise thoroughly assesses the Pakistan Navy's combat preparedness against conventional and emerging maritime threats, involving ships, submarines, aircraft, unmanned systems, marines, special forces, and joint Army and Air Force components. The ISPR further revealed that the exercise emphasizes practicing multi-domain operations, encompassing maritime, air, land, cyber, and space capabilities, as well as operations within the information environment to gain a strategic advantage in the information domain alongside direct combat actions at sea.

Prior to the commencement of SEASPARK-2026, the naval chief toured fleet units of the Pakistan Navy and assessed ongoing operations. He emphasized during an address that the changing security landscape demands unwavering readiness, improved tri-service coordination, adaptability, and efficiency across both physical and informational domains.

In April, the navy successfully tested an indigenously developed 'Taimoor' air-launched cruise missile. Additionally, during the same month, a bilateral maritime exercise took place between the navies of Pakistan and China, focusing on enhancing interoperability and cooperative maritime efforts. This exercise consisted of two phases, starting with a five-day port visit to Karachi and concluding with a two-day sea phase in the North Arabian Sea.