Menace of Underwater Threats in Arabian Sea: Response Options for Littorals

In modern day naval battles unmanned machines are replacing manned ones. The concept of naval power has altered due to enhanced use of unmanned underwater vehicles or UUVs in vast deep and mostly uncharted territory. Recent global incidents like use of underwater drones ‘Sub Sea Baby’ in Ukraine –Russia war, Sinking of Iranian Warship IRIS Dena on 4th March 2026 in Arabian Sea through submersible platform (Submarine or UUVs), participation of the USS Anduril’s dive (UUV) in the 2026 US-Iran war in the Gulf and Indian deployment of UUVs during India-Pakistan conflict in May 25 are few indicative facts that UUVs are in use of naval forces. These UUVs with low risk, small size and low acoustic signatures provide excellent underwater domain awareness, swarm targets, guide weapons and lurk undetected. In Pakistan-India context UUVs deployment can change the underwater balance in adversary’s favor especially during deployment of Pakistani warships in international campaign of anti-piracy operations at Gulf of Aden / Arabian Sea away from home ports. Empirical analysis provides sufficient evidence to argue that that India’s hostile intentions against Pakistan pose a serious strategic challenge through UUVs deployment in the Arabian Sea. This study by applying a comprehensive qualitative analysis and using security dilemma lens discovers that Pakistan is facing Indian UUVs threat in the Arabian Sea and also proposes a plausible option to counter balance this threat.