ISLAMABAD – As Pakistan and India have been locked into enmity sincebeginning; and India being larger and comparatively stronger on powermatrix had already made security the primary concern for Pakistan. Withsuch imbalance in power, Pakistan has been facing challenges and hasperformed rather better during tough times. The exemplary success ofOperation Dwarka in the wake of 1965-Pakistan-India War was one suchincident which became proud part of history of Pakistan. In the heat ofwar, Indian Navy was focusing mainly at West Pakistan which compelledPakistan to ensure security of its maritime boundaries in the Arabian Seaas well as Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) for uninterrupted trade andcommercial activities along with the inland water defence in the creekareas and estuaries of West and East Pakistan against potential Indianamphibious assaults.
Essentially these were the tasks successfully being undertaken by PakistanNavy with comparatively inferior logistics and naval technology than India.In those challenging days, Operation Dwarka emerged as symbol ofperseverance and professional capabilities of Pakistan Navy despite allhurdles and naval power imbalance.
Dwarka is coastal city of Gujrat situated on north-western peninsula whichhas been quite significant for India, not only religiously and culturallybut militarily too.
There was the radar installation which was guiding Indian Air Force tolaunch attacks on important cities of Pakistan especially Karachi. The coreobjective of Operation Dwarka was multi-fold in effect as it was not onlyaimed at destruction of the radar but to provoke Indian warships stationedat erstwhile Bombay (now Mumbai) port to come to the Arabian Sea wherePakistani submarine “Ghazi” was prowling and waiting to engage those ships.That Operation was launched on 8th September, 1965 and it involved sevenPakistan Naval vessels while the submarine was waiting in the open sea. Thebombardment on identified targets was completed in merely four minutes.
Operation Dwarka was not only a naval mission but it had different aspectstoo. It was beginning of the formal naval warfare between Pakistan andIndia with a roaring success of Pakistan Navy as preamble to future ofnaval developments. It acquired the objectives as success of the operationleft India licking its wounds and no retaliatory air, naval or amphibiousassault was undertaken by Indian forces on the coastline after that.
The operation also proved a litmus test for operational preparedness,coordination, and precision of Pakistan Navy as it followed the given planand achieved its targets including destruction of radar and other cityinstallations, and it was instructed and made sure that no radiocommunication would be administered which was followed fully. Above allOperation Dwarka lowered the morale of Indian Navy significantly and evenone Indian warship INS-Mysore which was stationed close-by at Cochin didnot respond to the assault launched by Pakistan Navy.
The shining success of that operation wrote an incredible chapter inhistory of Pakistan and proved overture for further naval developments notonly for Pakistan but at regional level too; it opened vistas as well aschallenges in terms of competition in acquiring latest technologies toenhance naval capabilities including assault and navigation of maritimeterritories of the coastal states of the Indian Ocean. India denied thedestruction of radar and its beacon or massive losses at other cityinstallations, but it engraved serious imprints of humiliation for Indiawhich were unforgettable.
Read Top Stories
Lately when in 1971 the submarine “Ghazi” was sunk near Vishakapatnam whilemining the harbour and got struck by one of its own mines, India claimedthat it was targeted by its Navy; but as matter of fact, Pakistan Navy’ssub-surface operational expertise has been un-shattered by Indian Navy inthe later years and has provided Pakistan Navy with immense pride and grace.
Pakistan Navy commemorates 8th September as the day of its victory everyyear and honours its officers who participated in operation and broughtthat success to the country. Since Pakistan Navy has proved itself aresponsible naval force in the Indian Ocean Region which has already beenhosting several regional and extra regional navies, it has gained respectdue to its effective role being played at different levels particularly“Blue Diplomacy”; as Pakistan Navy has been connected with other actorsthrough performing assigned roles in the Task Forces 150, 151, and 152;providing training and operational assistance to other regional navies; andinitiation of Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP) since 2018. Pakistanbelieves in the freedom of seas as well as security of SLOCs fromtraditional and non-traditional threats and challenges, and Pakistan Navyhas proved itself a credible “Guardian” of Pakistan’s vast maritimefrontier.
If Pakistan Navy was capable to launch a successful naval assault“Operation Dwarka” on enemy’s land with limited naval muscle in the year1965, it definitely has acquired technology, improved operationalcapabilities, immaculate training standards, and heightened morale due toits naval stature within the world navies with the passage of time. Withoutany doubt Pakistan Navy is fully capable to defend its homeland against anythreat or challenges of the contemporary era and its commitment to nationaland common security is highly appreciable.
BY: Dr Maleeha Zeba Khan
