Air Force ready to thwart any aggression: Naval Chief
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf has declared that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is equipped with modern technology and fully capable to defend motherland from any aggression, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf said this while addressing the passing-out parade of graduates of GDP-152 and allied courses at PAF Asghar Khan Academy in Risalpur on Tuesday.
The Chief of Naval Staff lauded remarkable, outstanding performance of Pakistan Air Force against India during the Mark-e-Haq last year.
He said Pakistan is fully capable of responding to any aggression with full force.
On this occasion, the Naval Chief administered oath to the newly passing-out cadets and gave away trophies and certificates for their outstanding performances in the courses.
In his speech, the Naval Chief recalled the four-day conflict with India in May 2025 —Marka-i-Haq — and stressed that Pakistan stood “ever ready, vigilant, and capable to deter any aggression and give a befitting response”.
He further stated that the armed forces, including the navy, stood ready to “enhance our capabilities and keep up with the evolving geopolitical developments”.
“Pakistan’s outstanding performance in Marka-i-Haq, Bunyanum Marsoos, was the outcome of exemplary professionalism, remarkable foresight, and relentless hard work on the part of the Pakistan Air Force leadership,” the naval chief said. He added in the years preceding the conflict, the air force pursued a “comprehensive strategy of organisation”.
“PAF has embraced technological developments and harnessed cutting-edge technologies,” he told the cadets, stressing that the PAF’s previous successes placed “greater responsibility” on the cadets.
The naval chief said that the Pakistan Navy was also “making significant headway”.
Passing-out ceremony of cadets at PAF Academy Risalpur@DGPR_PAF
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) April 14, 2026
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Detailing the advancement efforts, the navy chief said that Pakistan Navy was modernising its fleet and “indigenously developing long-range weapons”. He added that the navy’s combat capabilities had “undergone a remarkable enhancement across all operational domains, including surface, subsurface, and aviation”.
Admiral Ashraf recalled that the navy, during the May 2025 conflict, “successfully deterred the Indian navy from any hostilities at sea and it remained at bay throughout the conflict”.
The naval chief maintained that it was the Pakistan Navy’s capacity to “strike vital Indian infrastructure along the coast and its essential sea lines of communication with precision and speed” that played a vital role in forcing the Indian navy to withdraw.
He also noted the global impact due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel war on Iran, which broke out on February 28.
In this context, he expressed the navy’s readiness to exercise “continuous vigilance” and enhance its ability to “proactively respond in ant eventuality”.
“We stand ready to deter any aggression, enhance our capabilities and keep up with the evolving geopolitical developments,” he stressed.
He also appreciated Pakistan’s political and military leadership’s “untiring, selfless and sincere” role in brokering the US-Iran ceasefire and subsequent Islamabad Talks. “The trust and confidence in our armed forces and the Pakistani nation has grown exponentially,” he remarked.
He voiced optimism that with “concerted and collaborative efforts, we should be able to find a solution for achieving a safe secure and stable order in the region”.
Reporter Ahmad Mansoor