Operation Talwar

Last updated

Operation Talwar (Operation Sword) was the naval operation carried out by the Indian Navy during the Kargil War of 1999. It was one of the three operations at that time carried out by the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and the Indian Navy respectively. [1] The operation's goal was to choke Pakistani trade channels. [2]

Background

The Indian Navy carried out Operation Talwar to weaken Pakistan. [1] The Eastern Fleet and Western Fleet were combined to block Arabian Sea routes. It also conducted naval drills in the Arabian Sea. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Navy</span> Maritime service branch of the Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates significantly in the Persian Gulf Region, the Horn of Africa, the Strait of Malacca, and routinely conducts anti-piracy operations and partners with other navies in the region. It also conducts routine two to three month-long deployments in the South and East China seas as well as the western Mediterranean sea simultaneously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kargil War</span> 1999 India–Pakistan conflict

The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay, which was the codename of the Indian military operation in the region. The Indian Air Force acted jointly with the Indian Army to flush out the Pakistan Army and paramilitary troops from vacated Indian positions along the LoC, in what was designated as Operation Safed Sagar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Navy</span> Maritime service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces

The Pakistan Navy (PN) is the uniform naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The President of Pakistan is the Supreme Commander of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral commands the navy. The Pakistan Navy operates on the coastline of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. It was established in August 1947, following the independence of Pakistan from the United Kingdom.

Operation Dwarka was a naval operation by the Pakistan Navy to attack the Indian coastal town of Dwarka on 7 and 8 September 1965. This instance was the first engagement by the Pakistan Navy in any of the Indo-Pakistan Wars.

Operation Python, a follow-up to Operation Trident, was the code name of a naval attack launched on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi by the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. After the first attack during Operation Trident on the Port of Karachi, Pakistan stepped up aerial surveillance of its coast as the presence of large Indian Navy ships gave the impression that another attack was being planned. Pakistani warships attempted to outsmart the Indian Navy by mingling with merchant shipping. To counter these moves, Operation Python was launched on the night of 8/9 December 1971. A strike group consisting of one missile boat and two frigates attacked the group of ships off the coast of Karachi. While India suffered no losses, Pakistani fleet tanker PNS Dacca was damaged beyond repair, and the Kemari Oil Storage facility was lost. Two other foreign ships stationed in Karachi were also sunk during the attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fasih Bokhari</span> Pakistani military officer (1942–2020)

Admiral Fasih BokhariNI(M) HI(M) SI(M) SBt PGAT was a Pakistani admiral who served as the Chief of Naval Staff from 1997 to 1999. He was a well-known pacifist and a prominent political figure as the Chief of Naval Staff from 1997 until his voluntary resignation in 1999, which stemmed from his staunch opposition to the then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's instigation of the Kargil War with India, a conflict that Bokhari reportedly saw as an act of inappropriate and uncoordinated aggression from Pakistan and one that subsequently led him into a bitter dispute with Musharraf. Bokhari also served as the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, a Pakistani anti-corruption agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afzal Tahir</span> Pakistani admiral

Admiral Muhammad Afzal TahirNI(M) HI(M) SI(M) LoM was a Pakistan Navy officer, writer, and the military historian currently serving in the faculty at the Naval War College of Pakistan Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda</span>

Admiral Sardarilal Mathradas 'Charles' Nanda, PVSM, AVSM was an Indian Navy admiral who served as the 7th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1970 until 28 February 1973. He led the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and successfully executed a naval blockade of both West and East Pakistan, helping India achieve an overwhelming victory during the war. For his important role played in the war, Government of India awarded him with Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award. He is one of the most notable commanders in the history of the Indian Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Naval Command</span> Indian navy command

The Western Naval Command is one of the three command–level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As the senior–most of the three formations, the command is responsible for the all naval forces in the Arabian Sea and western parts of the Indian Ocean and the naval establishments on the west coast of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar Stanley Dawson</span> Indian admiral

Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson was a four-star admiral in the Indian Navy. He served as the 11th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1982 to 30 November 1984. From 1983 until his retirement, he also served as the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian Armed Forces. He previously served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Southern Naval Command and Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF). Adm Dawson was also the Director of Naval Operations during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Naval Air Arm</span> Military unit

The Pakistan Naval Air Arm is the naval aviation branch within the Pakistan Navy that is responsible for aerial operations from the seaborne platform.

The Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971 refers to the maritime military engagements between the Indian Navy and the Pakistan Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The series of naval operations began with the Indian Navy's exertion of pressure on Pakistan from the Indian Ocean, while the Indian Army and Indian Air Force moved in to choke Pakistani forces operating in East Pakistan on land. Indian naval operations comprised naval interdiction, air defence, ground support, and logistics missions.

INS <i>Talwar</i> (F40)

INS Talwar (F40) is the lead ship of the Talwar-class frigates of the Indian Navy. Its name means "Sword" in Hindi. She was built in Russia, and commissioned into the Indian Navy on 18 June 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sourendra Nath Kohli</span>

Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli, PVSM was an Indian Navy admiral who served as the 8th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1973 until 29 February 1976. Kohli served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-IN-C) of the Western Naval Command during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 and successfully led Indian Navy's Western Fleet in Operation Trident and Operation Python against the Pakistan Navy fleet in Karachi. His prior commands include those as the commanding officer of INS Mysore (C60) and INS Rana (D115).

Military exercises are conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces to increase combat readiness, and to identify problems in logistics, training, and current military doctrine. They also test the ability of units to work together. Lastly, they act as a visible expression of military might, which acts as a deterrent to potential enemy action. An important component of each exercise is the after-action assessment. Since 1989 the four branches services have increasingly begun coordinated exercises.

INS <i>Kalvari</i> (S21)

INS Kalvari (S21) is the first of the six indigenous Scorpène-class submarines currently in service with the Indian Navy. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine which is designed by DCNS and was manufactured at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Fleet (India)</span> Military unit

The Western Fleet is a Naval fleet of the Indian Navy. It is known as the 'Sword Arm' of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra on the west coast of India. It is a part of the Western Naval Command and is responsible for the naval forces in the Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Fleet (India)</span> Military unit

The Eastern Fleet is a Naval fleet of the Indian Navy. It is known as the 'Sword Arm' of the Eastern Naval Command and called the Sunrise Fleet. It is headquartered at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on the east coast of India. It is a part of the Eastern Naval Command and is responsible for the naval forces in the Bay of Bengal and parts of the Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. H. Sarma</span> Indian military officer (1922–2022)

Vice Admiral Sree Harilal Sarma, PVSM was an Indian Navy admiral who served as Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. He later served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command from 1 March 1977 to 2 February 1978.

Vice Admiral Elenjikal Chandy Kuruvila, PVSM, AVSM was a former Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He was the Fleet commander of the Western Fleet during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, for which he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. He later led the Southern Naval Area and then served as the Chairman and Managing Director of Mazagon Dock Limited.

References