Navy comparison: 
India vs 
Pakistan
India's 357-ship navy outnumbers Pakistan's 152 vessels (2.3:1 advantage). Of these, 353 and 117 are in active service respectively.
SEAS (Sea Equipment Aggregate Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
India
Pakistan
Bars: weighted contribution to the SEAS Index (hulls × category weight × size, era and propulsion factors, minor vessels capped at 30 % of the combatant points; the air-wing, sustainment, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active hulls at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
| India | Pakistan | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | Indian Navy | Pakistan Navy | |
| Total ships | 357 | 152 | 🇮🇳 2.3× |
| Active ships | 353 | 117 | 🇮🇳 3.0× |
| On order / planned | 0 | 30 | 🇵🇰 |
| Submarines | 19 | 6 | 🇮🇳 3.2× |
| Principal surface combatants | 33 | 9 | 🇮🇳 3.7× |
| Aircraft carriers | 2 | 0 | 🇮🇳 |
| Amphibious ships | 5 | 0 | 🇮🇳 |
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
| Corvettes | 24 | 10 | 🇮🇳 2.4× |
| Patrol boats | 144 | 67 | 🇮🇳 2.1× |
| Mine warfare | 0 | 3 | 🇵🇰 |
| Coastal boats | 0 | 7 | 🇵🇰 |
| Auxiliaries | 126 | 15 | 🇮🇳 8.4× |
Backbone classes one per tier held
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Analyst Assessment
Verdict
Edge: India
The Indian Navy holds a decisive and widening advantage over the Pakistan Navy, fielding two aircraft carriers, 13 destroyers and 19 submarines against a Pakistani force built around 9 frigates and 6 ageing Agosta boats. Pakistan's Chinese-supplied Tughril frigates and planned Hangor submarines sharpen its sea-denial punch in the northern Arabian Sea, but cannot offset India's blue-water reach, carrier aviation and domestic shipbuilding depth.
Domain by domain
Carriers & naval aviation
Edge: India
🇮🇳 IndiaTwo carriers, including Vikramaditya, with embarked fixed-wing fighters and organic airborne ASW/AEW helicopters; enables task-group air cover and strike well beyond shore-based fighter range.
🇵🇰 PakistanNo carriers and no organic fixed-wing naval aviation; air cover depends on land-based air force assets and shipborne helicopters, limiting operations to areas under coastal air umbrellas.
Surface combatants
Edge: India
🇮🇳 India33 principal combatants: 13 destroyers led by the Visakhapatnam class, 20 frigates including 8 Talwars, plus 23 corvettes; layered air defence and supersonic anti-ship missiles.
🇵🇰 Pakistan9 frigates, chiefly 4 Tughril (Type 054A/P) and 4 Zulfiquar, plus 10 corvettes including 4 Yarmook and 4 elderly Type 037II; modern but numerically thin.
Submarines
Edge: India
🇮🇳 India19 boats, including 6 Kilos alongside indigenous and nuclear-powered units; the largest and most varied undersea force in the region, with sustained deep-water patrol capacity.
🇵🇰 Pakistan6 boats centred on 5 Agostas, ageing but well-drilled for sea denial and mining in confined waters; 4 Hangor-class units on order would materially modernise the flotilla.
Shipbuilding & sustainment
Edge: India
🇮🇳 IndiaBroad domestic yard base delivering carriers, destroyers, frigates and submarines; 117 support ships underwrite sustained deployments far from home ports.
🇵🇰 Pakistan152 hulls on file but only 117 active, with 30 units on order — Jinnah frigates, Hangor boats, gun boats — largely dependent on Chinese and Turkish design and supply.
Bases & reach
Edge: India
🇮🇳 India15 bases spanning both coasts and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, supporting Indian Ocean-wide presence, chokepoint monitoring and extended task-group deployments.
🇵🇰 Pakistan6 bases concentrated on the Makran and Karachi coasts, notably Karachi Naval Dockyard and Jinnah Naval Base; short interior lines but a narrow, exposed coastal frontage.
Wildcards
- Geographic asymmetry Pakistan's fleet operates from a compact 1,000-km coastline with concentrated port infrastructure, making dispersal difficult; India's two-coast basing and island territories complicate any attempt to pin its forces.
- External supply relationships Pakistan's recapitalisation rests on Chinese and Turkish hulls, weapons and financing; continuity of that flow, and any access arrangements it brings, would shape the balance more than hull counts alone.
- Small-craft and mine denial Pakistan fields 67 patrol boats, 7 coastal craft and 3 Tripartite minehunters. Mining and swarm tactics in approach channels can impose disproportionate cost on larger surface groups.
Analysis generated by a language model from the figures on this page and public sources; it is an informed reading, not a military assessment or a prediction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more naval ships, India or Pakistan?
India has a larger navy with 357 ships compared to Pakistan's 152 ships.
Which navy has more submarines, India or Pakistan?
India operates more submarines with 20 compared to Pakistan's 13.
Which country has more aircraft carriers, India or Pakistan?
India has 2 aircraft carrier(s) compared to Pakistan's 0.
Which navy has more destroyers, India or Pakistan?
India operates 13 destroyers compared to Pakistan's 0.
Which navy has more frigates, India or Pakistan?
India operates 23 frigates compared to Pakistan's 15.
How do the India and Pakistan navies compare in size?
India's navy is 2.3 times larger than Pakistan's in terms of total ships (357 vs 152).