Pakistan has issued a new naval navigation alert for a planned firing exercise in waters close to where India has reserved airspace for its ongoing tri-services drill, Exercise Trishul. This notice, flagged first by open-source intelligence analyst Damien Symon, mirrors Islamabad’s recent Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that restricted several flight routes over central and southern Pakistan between October 28 and 29. While Pakistan did not formally state the reason for the earlier NOTAM, defence observers believe the timing suggests the country is coordinating military activity to coincide with India’s major joint-forces exercise.
India’s Exercise Trishul, which runs from October 30 to November 10, is focused on the Sir Creek region near the India-Pakistan border, a sensitive zone marked by swampy terrain and maritime boundaries. According to India’s Defence Ministry, the drill is among the largest tri-services operations in recent years and aims to showcase joint combat capability, indigenous defence technologies, and readiness across land, air, and sea. Satellite data shared by Symon indicates that India has reserved airspace up to 28,000 feet for the exercise, reflecting the scale and complexity of the operation.
The Trishul manoeuvres include amphibious missions off the Saurashtra coast, offensive operations in the desert and creek sectors, and coordinated strikes integrating Army, Navy, and Air Force assets. Troops under the Southern Command are leading the ground component, testing the ability to conduct synchronised operations across harsh and varied terrain. The Ministry has framed the exercise as a demonstration of operational preparedness and inter-services coordination at a time when India is emphasising self-reliant defence capabilities.
Pakistan’s decision to issue overlapping maritime and air warnings signals close monitoring of India’s movements and highlights the competitive military signalling that has become routine between the two neighbours. Analysts point to similar behaviour following Operation Sindoor, India’s coordinated military response to the Pahalgam terror attack, where Indian forces targeted terror infrastructure across the border. Since then, both countries have frequently issued NOTAMs and exercise notices in border-adjacent regions, reflecting a pattern of mutual strategic messaging.
Security experts interpret the latest developments as calibrated posturing rather than an indication of imminent conflict. They argue that both sides are asserting readiness while avoiding open escalation. However, they caution that simultaneous activity in contested or sensitive zones increases the possibility of misinterpretation. In a region with a history of rapid escalation during crises, the overlap in military notifications underscores the delicate balance of deterrence, perception, and strategic communication currently shaping India-Pakistan defence interactions.
