Blackout drills, military chiefs meet Modi: Is India gearing up for action against Pakistan after Pahalgam?

On April 22, armed terrorists emerged from the pine tree forests in the Baisaran meadow in south Pahalgam and gunned down innocent civilians — the tally stands at 26. Since then, tensions have been running high between India and Pakistan with New Delhi undertaking several punitive measures against the neighbouring country, prompting retaliatory measures from Islamabad.

There’s been a pause on the Indus Waters Treaty by India; New Delhi has also suspended all visas to Pakistanis and asked all of them to leave India; and as recently as Saturday (May 3) restricted all Pakistani-flagged ships at ports and barred all Pakistani imports into the nation. There are also plans by the Modi government to choke Pakistan’s terror funding by approaching global agencies such as the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Action Task Force and seeking slashing of its funds.

But many are still asking a question — Will India carry out some military response to the terror attack?

Naval drills in the Arabian Sea

Over the weekend, the Indian Navy issued a navigation warning for commercial ships to exercise caution in view of its ongoing drills in the Arabian Sea. The NAV (navigation) alert comes amid increasing tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.

Additionally, the Indian Navy also shared visuals of Indian warships conducting multiple anti-ship firings in the Arabian Sea, demonstrating their preparedness for long-range precision strikes. Multiple visuals of BrahMos anti-ship and anti-surface cruise missiles being fired from warships in the middle of the sea were shared by the Navy on X. These warships included Kolkata-class destroyers and Nilgiri and Krivak-class frigates.

“Indian Navy Ships undertook successful multiple anti-ship firings to revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems, and crew for long-range precision offensive strike. Indian Navy stands combat-ready, credible, and future-ready in safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests Anytime Anywhere Anyhow,” the Navy said on X.

#IndianNavy Ships undertook successful multiple anti-ship firings to revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long range precision offensive strike.#IndianNavy stands #CombatReady #Credible and #FutureReady in safeguarding the nation’s maritime… pic.twitter.com/NWwSITBzKK

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) April 27, 2025

IAF’s night drills at UP expressway

This show of strength at sea coincided with the Indian Air Force’s “ land and go” drill on the Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh. For those who don’t know, on Friday night, the IAF conducted night-time combat drills that saw fighter jets Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, and Mirage-2000 simulate touch-and-go landings and combat operations on the 3.5-kilometre airstrip near Piru village under the Jalalabad Police Station limits.

Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi told news agency PTI, “Multiple fighter jets carried out successful sorties as part of a night operational exercise. The drill involved precision landings, coordinated take-offs, and tactical operations by jets such as Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mirage-2000, and M-32.”

Blackout drills at Punjab cantonment

While there was action in the air and at sea, the Indian Army, on Sunday (May 4), carried out a 30-minute blackout rehearsal at the Ferozepur Cantonment in Punjab. The drill, which began at 9 pm and concluded a half hour later, was aimed at testing preparedness for implementing blackout procedures during periods of increased security threats.

According to reports, the cantonment authorities made a loudspeaker announcement ahead of the drill, informing residents about the measures involved in the blackout drill.

Notably, this drill evoked memories of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War when it had become routine to order lights off to reduce visibility for enemy aircraft.

Rajnath Singh’s big declaration

In addition to all of these actions, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement on Sunday is being perceived by many as an indicator of things to come. At an event in the Capital, the defence minister said it is “his responsibility to work with the armed forces and give a befitting reply to those who cast an evil eye on India”.

Without elaborating, Rajnath Singh said, “I want to assure you that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, what you desire will certainly happen.”

#WATCH | Delhi | While addressing the Sanskriti Jagran Mahotsav, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says, "As a nation, our brave soldiers have always protected the physical form of India, while on the other hand, our sages and wise men have protected the spiritual form of India.… pic.twitter.com/22QhC3MkiI

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2025

This is the second big remark that Singh has made in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. On April 23, a day after the terror attack, Singh said, “The government will take every step that is necessary and appropriate. We will not only trace those who perpetrated this incident, we will also reach out to those who, sitting behind the scene, have conspired to carry out the nefarious act on Indian soil.”

Those involved in the attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam will get a strong response in the “near future” and India cannot be “intimidated” by such terrorist activities, the defence minister had asserted.

Modi’s talks with IAF and Navy chiefs

On Sunday, PM Modi also met with Indian Air Force’s Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and it is learnt that the IAF chief briefed the PM on the overall preparedness of his force in the context of retaliatory options being weighed by the government following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Notably, these talks at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg — the PM’s official residence — were held hours after Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi spoke to Modi on the situation in the northern Arabian Sea.

These conversations come five days after PM Modi had held a meeting with the top brass of the military and was quoted as saying that the Armed Forces have “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response” to the Pahalgam terror attack.

In addition to the PM, that meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the heads of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Modi, at the meeting, had expressed complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the armed forces. “They have complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of our response,” a source quoted Modi as saying.

With inputs from agencies