Pakistan Navy commences SEASPARK-2026 exercise to test combat readiness

The Pakistan Navy commenced a major maritime exercise in Karachi on Wednesday to test combat readiness against threats, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The opening brief of the maritime exercise, named SEASPARK-2026, was presided over by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and attended by senior officers from other branches of the armed forces, the military’s media wing said in a press release.

“The exercise rigorously tests Pakistan Navy’s combat readiness against conventional and emerging maritime threats, integrating ships, submarines, aircraft, unmanned systems, marines, special forces and joint Army and Air Force elements,” the statement said.

The ISPR added that the exercise focuses on rehearsing multi-domain operations by “integrating maritime, air, land, cyber and space-enabled capabilities”, as well as operations in the information environment to “secure decisive advantage in the information battlespace” alongside kinetic operations at sea.

Earlier, the naval chief also visited fleet units of the Pakistan Navy and reviewed ongoing operations. In an address, he stressed that the evolving security environment demands “uncompromising readiness, enhanced tri-service integration, adaptability and effectiveness across physical and information domains”.

In April, the navy conducted a successful test of the indigenously developed ‘Taimoor’ air-launched cruise missile.

The same month, it concluded a bilateral maritime exercise aimed to enhance interoperability and maritime cooperation between the navies of Pakistan and China. The exercise comprised two phases, including a five-day port visit to Karachi and a two-day sea phase in the North Arabian Sea.