Operation Trident and its follow-up Operation Python were naval offensive operations launched on Pakistan's port city of Karachi by the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Operation Trident was the first time ship-launched missiles were used in the region, and saw the first sinking of naval vessels in the region since independence for the two nations.[4] As a result of this operation, India celebrates Navy Day annually on 4 December.
Background
Karachi housed the headquarters of the Pakistani Navy and almost the entire fleet was based at Karachi Harbour. Karachi was also the hub of Pakistan's maritime trade, meaning that a blockade would be disastrous for Pakistan’s economy. The defence of Karachi harbour was therefore paramount to the Pakistani High Command and it was heavily defended against any air or naval strikes. Karachi received some of the best defence Pakistan had to offer, as well as cover from strike aircraft based at two airfields in the area.
Pakistan Naval preparations
On November 16th, Pakistan Navy had launched the reconnaissance Submarine operations to gather intelligence on Indian advances.[6] On 31st November, Naval submarines had detected a large formation of such naval armada moving straight to Karachi, but an attack could not be launched as West-Pakistan was not in war with India that time. On December 1st, an intel passed by PNSHangor, Pakistan Naval Intelligence (NI) had learned the possible missile attack. PNS Badr and PNS Shah Jahan were stationed at PNS Ahsan, and PNS Tippu Sultan, PNS Khaiber, PNS Jahangir were stationed in Karachi Naval Dockyard to counter the threat.[6] This formation took place at 1800hrs, and at 2200 hrs the Pakistan Naval combatant ships were put on high-alert. An PAF's reconnaissance aircraft confirmed the presence of Indian Armada approaching near to Karachi Port on the evening of 3 December.[6]
At 0333 hrs on 4 December, the Naval Intelligence reported that the naval armada is moved south-westerly and only 30 miles away from Karachi Port, although it was reported on a north-westerly course in the initial message.[6] Naval Intelligence had received such reports based on their Submarine operations. The Pakistan Naval combatant fleet was moved to south-westerly based on the intel. Hangor had monitored the movement of Indian Armada led by INS Mysore, but INS Mysore led Indian fleet did not launch the first attack. Tippu Sultan and Khaibar, after moving to south-west,signaled Jahangir to join her flotilla and resumed their outer patrol. With the changed situation, however, the warships were expected new orders, but having received none decided to join the flotilla based on north-west position.[6]
Operation Trident
On 4 December, the Indian Navy launched a fast naval strike on the Pakistan Naval Headquarters (NHQ)of Karachi[7]. The Indian fleet was to lie 250 miles (400 km) from Karachi during the day, outside the range of Pakistan Air Force aircraft, and attack at night because most of these aircraft did not possess night-time bombing capability.[8] During the same time, Muhafiz received the sonar contacts on her radar, and ordered Khaibar to investigate the sonar contact, but due to electrical failure, Khaibar never received the message. Meanwhile, Tippu Sultan and Jahangir observed the Indian fleet getting closer to Karachi with its maximum speed. Both Tippu Sultan and Jahangir had repeatedly send messages to Khaibar, but she failed to received the message.
At 2230 hrs, the task group converged about 70 nautical miles (130 km) south of Karachi, detected Pakistani targets analyzed as warships 45 miles to the northwest and 42 miles to the northeast. At 2245 hrs, Khaiber electrical control room was struck with a missile that resulted immediate dead of naval electrical engineers working to fix the communication board. The ship immediately lost propulsion and power and was plunged into darkness.
INS Nirghat engaged the northwesterly target and after verification, fired the first SS-N-2B Styx missile at the destroyer, Khaiber which was on patrol. Khaibar mistook the missile to be an aircraft and engaged it with its Bofors anti-aircraft guns. The second missile struck Khaibar on the starboard side and exploded below the aft galley in the Electrician's mess deck at about 2245 hrs PST. The ship immediately lost propulsion, plunged into darkness and the No.1 Boiler room exploded, engulfing the ship in thick black smoke. Khaibar sent out an emergency transmission which read "Enemy aircraft attacked in position 020 FF 20. No 1 Boiler hit. Ship stopped." With the target still afloat, at about 2249 hrs, INS Nirghat fired a third missile, which was seen approaching and again engaged with anti-aircraft guns of Khaibar. The missile struck the No.2 Boiler room on the starboard side, sinking PNS Khaibar.[9]
At 2300 hours, INS Nipat engaged two targets to the northeast approaching Karachi. Verifying the targets, Nipat launched 1 Styx missile each at the MV Venus Challenger carrying ammunition for Pakistan from the United States forces in Saigon, and her destroyer escort Shah-Jahan. The ammunition on the Venus Challenger immediately exploded as the missile struck sinking her about 26 miles south of Karachi, while Shah Jahan was irreparably damaged.
At 2320 hours, the minesweeperMuhafiz, was targeted by a Styx missile from INS Veer. The missile hit Muhafiz on the port side abaft the bridge, instantaneously disintegrating the vessel.
INS Nipat continuing towards Karachi, locked on to the oil storage tanks of the port from 14 miles south of the harbor. It fired two missiles at the tanks. One of the missiles misfired, while the other hit the tanks, destroying some of them.[4][5] The task force then withdrew back towards Bombay.
Aftermath
The attack was an initial shock to Pakistan's High Military Command. The attack had left a deep psychological and emotional impact to Pakistan's civil society and the Pakistan Armed Forces. Overall, the Indian Navy's first missile attack was apparently planned well in advance and carefully rehearsed. Immediately after executing the operation, the rescue operation was launched locate and recover survivors of Khaibar was a somewhat disjointed and haphazard effort. The incorrect position of Khaibar indicated in her last signal also contributed towards the late recovery of survivors. The search effort was, therefore, centred on a position which was more than 20 miles away from the location where the ship had sunk. The location of survivors of Muhafiz was by chance. On the midnight of 4 December, soon after the attack on Khaibar, Commdore M. Razi Ahmad was ordered to proceed and look for Khaibar's survivors. Commodore Ahmad was succeeded to find the wreckage of Khaiber and also would be succeeded by locating the wreckage of Muhafiz at the distant harbor. But Commodore Ahmad did not take any initiatives as he thought was the burning wreck of Khaibar at the harbor. After the recovery of survivors, it was revealed Muhafiz was sunk last night and her crew remained missing.
Commodore Hanif Ali took over the command of the rescue operations from Commodore Ahmad as he was failed to recover the Muhafiz based on his assumptions. Commodore Hanif established the Naval Air Arm. These aircrafts were provided PIA and was piloted by civilian volunteer crews from PIA and PAF officers with naval officers positioned at the airport. However, due to lack of communications, the Navy had found it difficult to get firm commitments from the Air Force due to their involvement in Army operations. In retaliation, the PAF carried out a bomber mission at Okha missile boat harbour, but it had not lasting affects.
The Pakistan Navy, now on high alert as a result of the operation, reported circulation of a number of reports indicating the presence of missile boats in the area. Pakistan Navy raised a false alarm on 6 December 1971 perceiving another missile attack from an Indian missle boat. The NHQ asked the PAF to carry out an air strike on a ship which had been identified as a missile boat by Naval observers flown on a Fokker Friendship aircraft for this specific task. Fighter jets from the scrambled to attack the supposed Indian ship and bombed the vessel before it was identified as one of their own ships. At 0645 hrs, the air raid was carried out and the PNS Zulfikar, on her way to survey the area, suffered casualties and damage as a result of this friendly fire.[5][7]
Operation Trident was an enormous success with no damage to any ships in the Indian task group,[4] which returned safely back to Indian ports[5][clarification needed]. The success of this operation prompted another successful attack on Karachi on 8 December 1971, known as Operation Python.[7]
Indian Navy
Pakistani Navy
