Operation Trident

News: Recently, the Indian Navy celebrates Navy Day to commemorate the Indian Navy’s attack on Karachi Harbor during Operation Trident in the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

About Operation Trident

• Operation Trident was a naval operation launched by the Indian Navy during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
• The operation was launched on December 4, 1971, as part of the India-Pakistan War.
• The war began when Pakistan Air Force launched pre-emptive strikes on Indian airfields on December 3, 1971. India responded by declaring war in the early hours of December 4.
• Objective: The primary goal was to inflict significant damage on Pakistani vessels in the Karachi harbour.
• Execution: INS Kiltan, Katchall, Nipat, Nighat, and Veer participated in the operation. Indian Navy used Soviet Osa missile boats equipped with SS-N-2 Styx missiles for the attack.
• Impact of the Operation: The Indian Navy sank three vessels near Karachi, including: PNS Khaibar (222 Pakistani sailors killed), PNS Muhafiz (33 Pakistani sailors killed), MV Venus Challenger, a merchant ship.
  • The Indian Air Force (IAF) also played a role by strafing Karachi’s Kemari oil tanks, contributing to the operation’s success.
• Innovative Tactics: The attack marked the first use of missiles in the region for naval warfare. Radio silence and ingenious communication methods were employed to avoid detection.
  • Indian Navy used coastal defence vessels in an offensive role. Russian language was used for radio communications to deceive Pakistani signals intelligence.

About India’s naval operations in neighboring countries