Indian Navy Day History
In remembrance of the gallant sailors who led Operation Trident, which resulted in a catastrophic attack on Karachi Harbor during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, the country observes 52nd Navy Day. Happy Indian Navy Day, Team Defence Direct Education extends its best wishes to all Indian Navy personnel, veterans, and Veer Naaris.
The Trident Operation
The Indian Navy attacked Pakistan’s Karachi Harbour on December 4th, demolishing the naval vessels and fuel storage facilities there.
Included in the Indian Naval Strike Group were:
1. The INS Nipat, INS Nirghat, and INS Veer are the three Vidyut Class Missile Boats.
2. The INS Katchall and INS Kiltan are two anti-submarine corvettes.
3. INS Poshak, a single fleet tanker ship
With a 70-kilometer range, the Soviet SS-N-2B Styx Surface to Surface Missile was mounted on the Vidyut Class Missile Boats. The commander of Operation Trident was Cdr Babru Bhan Yadav.
Away from Pakistani radar range, the Indian Naval Strike Group took a daylight position in the Arabian Sea. The strike force traveled south of Karachi during the night and located possible targets in Karachi Harbour, which housed the Pakistani Navy’s headquarters and its whole fleet.
The Pakistani destroyer PNS Kaibar was hit by a Styx missile fired by the INS Nirghat as it advanced. The ship’s first boiler exploded when the missile struck the right side of the vessel. When PNS Kaibar was hit by the second Styx missile fired by INS Nirghat, it was sunk, resulting in the deaths of 222 men. In the meantime, the destroyer PNS Shah Jahan and the merchant cargo vessel Venus were the targets of INS Nipat. Two Styx missiles fired by INS Nipat destroyed the cargo ship Venus, which was transporting Pakistani military ammunition. Following the second missile strike, the PNS Shah Jahan suffered significant damage that led to its final scrapping. Amidst the confusion, Pakistani Navy minesweeper PNS Muhafiz was hit by INS Veer. The PNS Muhafiz was entirely destroyed when the INS Veer’s Styx missile struck it. The ship instantly sank, killing thirty-two of its sailors.
INS Nipat kept firing missiles into the Karcahi Harbour’s fuel storage facilities. The fuel storages were destroyed by fire. For the following seven days, the entire Karachi Harbour was on fire. Indian Vessels returned to Indian Bases following the triumphant operation.
The Indian Navy’s Operation Trident was a hugely successful mission. It destroyed the Pakistani Navy’s core. The Indian Navy conducted Operation Python to strike Karachi Har bour following Operation Trident.