by Sidhant Sibal

As Pakistan commemorates its Navy Day on September 8 each year, the occasion is used to perpetuate its narrative about the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war. The story of the war begins with Operation Gibraltar, launched by Pakistan to create instability in the then state of Jammu and Kashmir (now a union territory). The unsuccessful operation was the immediate cause of the India-Pakistan war of 1965. India’s response was swift, and by September 6, the Pakistani military was struggling to hold its ground. While Pakistan started by aiming to take over Kashmir, it ended up defending Lahore.

The official version, deeply embedded in Pakistani school textbooks and frequently repeated by the military, asserts that Pakistan triumphed over India, but, mostly it's a story of strategic and political failure from Pakistan. Even top Pakistani officials, such as General Mehmood Ahmed, who served as ISI chief from 1999-2001, have acknowledged Pakistan's losses. His book "The Myth of 1965 Victory" had caused quite a stir in Pakistan.

While the naval role wasn't much during the war, Operation Dwarka, launched by Pakistan, played a key role in galvanising the Indian political leadership in expanding the budget for the Indian Navy. Under the operation, Dwarka was bombed, since Pakistan believed that it housed a radar installation.

Pakistan Navy had deployed, PNS Babur, PNS Khaibar, and PNS Badr among other Naval vessels to bomb the town in the state of Gujarat. The operation had no real impact on the course of the war, with no strategic feat achieved. The overnight bombing saw the bombing of the guest house of the railway station. In fact, Pakistan marks its Navy Day on September 8, since it was on this day that it carried out the operation to bomb Dwarka -- a place that also holds immense historical value in the Indian subcontinent.

1971 war was the turning point with India gaining naval superiority in the region. The war saw the Indian Navy's blockade of East Pakistan, blockage of Karachi port-Pakistan's economic lifeline, and the sinking of PNS Ghazi, unprecedented in the Indian defence history.

Sinking of PNS Ghazi, a submarine in the Pakistan Navy, originally leased from the United States as USS Diablo (SS-479) under the Security Assistance Program in 1963, remains the key moment of the war, that led to the creation of the state of Bangladesh. The sinking of PNS Ghazi has been a point of national pride for India, often celebrated in military history.

According to Commodore Seshadri Vasan (Retd), a veteran of the Indian Navy, “The Navy came of age in the 1971 war. The first missiles in the North Arabian Sea were fired by the Indian Navy, demonstrating our growing maritime prowess.” While both navies have evolved since then, India’s consistent focus on indigenisation has given it a long-term advantage. The Indian Navy’s emphasis on indigenous weapon systems and sensors reduces dependence on foreign suppliers, unlike Pakistan, which relies heavily on external sources, particularly China,"

India's geography has been advantageous for it. The extensive coastline helps it to be at the centre of the Indian Ocean, with strategic outposts like the Lakshadweep and Andaman Islands giving it further inroads in one of the busiest shipping routes of the world.

“In terms of sea control and sea denial operations, the Indian Navy has the clear upper hand,” Commodore Vasan pointed. “The Pakistan Navy, though capable of defending its coastal waters, lacks the strategic reach and firepower of its Indian counterpart.”

Today, the Indian Navy continues to dominate the maritime domain and the Indian Ocean region. It remains a blue water navy, which means, its presence remains across the vast open oceans, unlike the Pakistani Navy, which is seen as a green water navy.

The Indian Navy has two aircraft carriers—INS Vikramaditya and the indigenously built INS Vikrant and modern surface combatants, such as the INS Kolkata-class destroyers and Shivalik-class frigates, which are equipped with advanced weaponry and sensor systems.

The Indian vessels far outclass Pakistan’s F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigates and the recently acquired Type 054A/P frigates from China. Rawalpindi has been engaging with Beijing for the modernisation of the Pakistan Navy by the end of this decade.

Agencies