'INS Vikrant, Rajput and trapping of PNS Ghazi': How India sank Pakistan's most advanced submarine of its time

Following a series of diplomatic escalations against Pakistan post the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 27 civilians, the Indian Navy has deployed its first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, near the Karwar coast in the Arabian Sea.

This deployment, evokes memories of one of the most decisive maritime episodes in the subcontinent’s history—the sinking of PNS Ghazi in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.

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1971: The battle beneath the waves

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Pakistan launched a covert operation to eliminate India’s pride, the aircraft carrier called INS Vikrant. The Indian aircraft carrier, at the time was under repair and maintainance. The Pakistani Navy dispatched its most advanced submarine, a US-leased, PNS Ghazi, with a dual mission: to destroy Vikrant and establish dominance in the Bay of Bengal.

While Pakistan believed INS Vikrant to be anchored off Visakhapatnam, the carrier had been secretly redeployed to the Andaman Islands, away from harm. In its place, the Indian Navy had dispatched its INS Rajput, an ageing yet tactically capable destroyer, to patrol this coastline.

Also Read- India-Pakistan standoff: Revisiting the 1971 war and the legacy of the Simla Agreement

The sinking of PNS Ghazi

On the night of 3 December 1971, INS Rajput detected an unusual underwater activity near the Visakhapatnam harbour. Depth charges were deployed in suspected zones and within hours a massive underwater explosion was recorded. The following morning, wreckage of PNS Ghazi was found drifting and scattered near the harbour entrance.

Pakistani military, however, maintained that an accidental internal explosion was the cause, Indian naval accounts and subsequent analysis credited INS Rajput with neutralising the threat through deliberate action.

Also Read- 5 times India’s military triumphed over Pakistan's aggression

History echoes in 2025

Today, as ceasefire violations escalate and the spectre of cross-border conflict looms once more, the Indian Navy has mindfully deployed the latest INS Vikrant in the Arabian Sea. Though officially unlinked, its presence is a subtle message: India remains vigilant and ready to defend its sovereignty at sea.