Navy’s blockade threat spurred Pak exit

NEW DELHI, JULY 27: Strategic manoeuvres by the Navy in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast and the threat of a naval blockade hastened...

NEW DELHI, JULY 27: Strategic manoeuvres by the Navy in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast and the threat of a naval blockade hastened the withdrawal of Pakistan Army intruders from the Kargil Sector, said top Navy official on Monday.

The added that there are reliable inputs that an imminent naval blockade by the Indian Navy with the intention of stopping the movement of oil tankers and other vessels carrying major products figured prominently during the Clinton-Sharif talks on July 4. And Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s announcement about the withdrawal followed subsequently.

“We were poised to hit their soft underbelly,” said Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sushi Kumar, pointing out a weak Pakistani Navy compared to India’s Naval fleet. “Our aim was not to be surprised at sea like the Pakistani attacks on Dwarka in 1965. We wanted to seize the initiative in case of an escalation.”

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“But more importantly,” added Rear Admiral S C S Bangara, “the strategic manoeuvres, especially the forwarddeployment of warships, presented Pakistan with the ominous prospect of a naval blockade that would have crippled her warfighting machinery and economy. With her entire oil supply and international trade coming via the sea, Pakistan’s survival hinges on her ability to ensure that the sea-lanes are open.”

This critical manoeuvres by the Navy included two aspects: One was moving the entire the Eastern fleet to join the Western felt; this was unprecedented. Secondly, conducting a two-part naval exercises called Summerex; this is an annual feature usually conducted in the Bay of Bengal but was carried out this time in the Arabian Sea with the intention of sending the right signals.

Rear Admiral Bangara pointed out that an effective naval blockade would have not only pulverised Pakistan’s “fragile economy but would also have had a direct impact on its Armed forces”. Indian frigates, destroyers and submarines had been readied to stop all sea traffic towards Pakistan. And Sea Harrier fighter aircraft werepositioned to take off from several “alternative platforms”, in the absence of aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

“Pakistan has only two ports to handle tanker traffic — Karachi being the bigger one, only one state-owned tanker, four refineries and stocks for a week,” said Rear Admiral Bangara. “Beside the oil use by the military is the same as that in the civilian sector, unlike in India. This means that they can’t even siphon off oil from the civilian quota without causing a major crisis.”

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India, on the other hand, he added has 11 major ports, more than 55 state-owned tankers, 22 refineries and stocks for over 30 days.

Besides the warships which were within striking distance by “a couple of hours”, Amphibious Units of the Army and the Navy were also moved in from Andaman and Nicobar Islands in case of a sea-borne landing.

“Every day, during the conflict, all three of us (the three service chiefs) would sit and work out strategies. The results are obvious,” said Admiral Sushil Kumar.