After gaining independence, Pakistan had realised in order to endure freedom, it ought to have a strategic ability to turn down malicious designs of its enemy. Pakistan well perceived the importance of its coastal defence along with the land and air limits. To have a hand in sea, Pakistan Navy was brought into service.
In addition to successfully defending country's sea borders, Pakistan Navy has been successfully dealing with the challenges of technology and globalization; it has constantly been engaged in contributing its share at regional and international maritime realm to comply with the international obligations for collaboration.
Pakistan Navy always espouses high standards of professionalism. In the 1965 war, Pakistan Navy conducted successful operations aimed at strategic deterrence and gave a befitting reply to anti-Pakistan forces, a similarity of which is hard to find in the domain of naval warfare. The act of valour displayed during the operation "Dwarka", which caused irreparable damage to Indian Navy including the destruction of Indian Radar system, is an explicit example of Pakistan naval personnel's professional dedication and commitment involved. Moreover, Pakistan Navy apprehended the intentions of Indian Navy and ordered Pakistan Navy submarine Ghazi to move its patrol to Bombay harbor to challenge their ships namely INS Vikrant and INS Mysore to dock out and get destroyed. The psychological fear of Ghazi adversely affected their operational maneuvers.
Yet again in the 1971 war, sinking of Indian warship Kukri brought an immense wartime casualty by PNS Hangor, is the only incident after WWII wherein any conventional submarine sank a Warship. The detection of Indian Navy submarines during post-Pulwama and Uri military standoff by Pakistan Navy evidently portrays effective employment strategy coupled with superior professional acumen.
Having transcendence in operational preparedness, Pakistan Navy is no less at meeting the regional and international maritime security obligations. Post 9/11 maritime security operations were conducted in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean Region. Pakistan Navy being part of Coalition Maritime Campaign Plan under the UN mandate, had actively participated in maritime security and counter-piracy operations. Though Pakistan Navy is a small naval force, its share has remained highest in maritime security campaigns after the United States'. As a result of these collaborative efforts, the maritime zones of the region where merchant ships had to pay war risk surcharge due to piracy, have been excluded from danger zone.
Enhancing these initiatives further, Pakistan Navy instituted Regional Maritime Security Patrols (RMSP), an initiative to continue support to uphold international efforts in the region. The main purpose to establish RSMP is to ensure maritime security at sea for protection of domestic and international trade. Thus, contribution at large is the manifest projection of Pakistan as a state shouldering regional and international maritime commitments.
Despite its imperative engagements at regional and international levels, is Pakistan Navy equipped with modern war strategy? In today's world, war dynamics have seen transitional changes over a period of time. One of the important facets of war fighting is surprise, which could easily be achieved in the past, however, now with the commencement of modern warfare coupled with advanced communication means and technological advancements, the enemy's positioning is assimilated through indicators by effective monitoring mechanisms and surveillance apparatus, thereby naval assets can be placed at sea accordingly within no time. Hence, war is not a surprise now. Comprehending the strategic environment, Pakistan Navy is moving ahead with established notion that "the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war."Engaging in peace time operations with multinational navies, Pakistan Navy, equipped with modern warfare strategy, is strengthening interoperability at large and strategic deterrence in particular.
To conclude, Pakistan Navy has always exhibited its capability and capacity in an effective and meaningful manner. It has remained fully capable to thwart any aggressive move by the Indian Navy. In a major diplomatic move, Pakistan Navy has started off AMAN (together for peace), a biannual exercise to keep multinational cooperation with a view to ensuring security in maritime environment and enhance diplomatic ties at sea.
(The writer can be contacted at [email protected])
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