India has initiated Exercise Trishul 2025, a large tri-service military rehearsal near its western border with Pakistan, led by the Indian Navy.
The large-scale exercise, which began in early November, aims to improve combined operational preparedness and interoperability between the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force in the land, air, and sea domains.
The exercise covers a wide range of terrain sectors, including Rajasthan and Gujarat’s creeks and deserts, as well as the strategically important northern Arabian Sea. It includes amphibious operations, carrier-based naval missions, and integrated land-air-sea cooperation, demonstrating India’s emphasis on technology-driven, multi-domain fighting capabilities.
This major drill has involved around 20-25 Indian Navy warships, over 40 fighter aircraft and support planes from the Air Force, as well as amphibious assets such as the landing platform dock INS Jalashwa and landing craft utility (LCU) vessels.
The Army’s Southern Command, the Navy’s Western Command, and the Air Force’s South Western Command are the primary organizations involved, with assistance from the Coast Guard, Border Security Force, and other central agencies.
Exercise Trishul intends to validate complex joint operating procedures, test communication networks, and fine-tune tactics for future conflict, including Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Electronic conflict (EW), and Cyber Warfare components. The substantial use of indigenous systems enhances India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat agenda in terms of defence readiness.
Pakistan has reacted to the exercise with heightened worry and strategic anxiety. Pakistan’s military spokesperson, DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry, has issued statements indicating resolution but also expressing concern about India’s growing military readiness.
Pakistan has accused India of planning a “false flag operation” in the Arabian Sea, and has issued many Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), closing vast areas of its southern airspace as a precaution.
Experts notice that Pakistan’s political instability, compounded by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) incursions into Islamabad and ongoing internal security issues, adds to its concern about the Indian military’s assertive demonstration.
Pakistan’s public rhetoric appears to be focused in part at strengthening internal cohesion in the face of external pressures.
In summary, Exercise Trishul 2025 demonstrates India’s expanding strategic advantage across the western maritime boundary, as well as its readiness for multi-domain conflict. At the same time, it has alarmed Pakistan, emphasizing the shifting balance of power and the Indian Armed Forces’ capacity to project power decisively in the Arabian Sea region.
This tri-service exercise will run until mid-November 2025, setting a new standard for India’s combined defense readiness and conveying a clear deterrent message to its western neighbour.
