How Pakistan Deployed PNS Ghazi on a Secret Mission in 1971: As tensions escalated in 1971, Pakistan’s military leadership became increasingly concerned about the role of INS Vikrant, India’s aircraft carrier. Military planners in Islamabad understood that if Vikrant remained operational in the Bay of Bengal, East Pakistan would become extremely vulnerable. The carrier’s ability to launch air strikes deep into enemy territory made it one of India’s most valuable strategic assets.
Pakistan feared that the presence of INS Vikrant could decisively influence the outcome of any conflict in the eastern theatre. This concern eventually led Pakistani naval commanders to conclude that the aircraft carrier had to be neutralized before it could be fully deployed against East Pakistan.
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Pakistan’s Limited Naval Options
At the time, Pakistan did not possess an aircraft carrier of its own. Its submarine fleet consisted of four submarines, but only one of them had the range and capability required for a long-distance mission into the Bay of Bengal.
Three submarines in Pakistan’s fleet were designed primarily for shorter operational ranges and could not effectively conduct a mission against INS Vikrant. However, the fourth submarine, PNS Ghazi, was a different story. It was Pakistan’s only long-range submarine and represented the country’s best chance of eliminating the Indian carrier.
The History of PNS Ghazi
PNS Ghazi was regarded as one of the most formidable assets in Pakistan’s navy. Detecting the submarine underwater was extremely difficult, making it a dangerous weapon for covert operations.
Interestingly, the submarine had originally served in the United States Navy under the name USS Diablo. Following the arrival of INS Vikrant in India in 1961, Pakistan sought a suitable countermeasure. In 1963, under the United States Security Assistance Program, USS Diablo was leased to Pakistan.
After entering Pakistani service, the submarine was renamed PNS Ghazi (S-130). From that point onward, it became Pakistan’s most valuable underwater weapon and the centerpiece of plans aimed at targeting INS Vikrant.
The Decision to Eliminate INS Vikrant
By September 1971, Pakistan’s leadership had made a crucial decision. PNS Ghazi would be sent into the Bay of Bengal with a clear objective: locate and destroy INS Vikrant.
Pakistan knew that Vikrant was operating somewhere in the Bay of Bengal, but its exact location remained unknown. Finding the carrier became the first challenge.
According to various accounts, Pakistan allegedly obtained intelligence through unconventional means. A foreign aircraft reportedly requested an emergency landing near Madras (now Chennai) after claiming technical difficulties. Once permission was granted, the aircraft allegedly conducted several test flights in the surrounding region. During these activities, information related to INS Vikrant’s location and movements was reportedly gathered.
Photographs and coordinates were allegedly collected and subsequently passed to Pakistan’s naval authorities. These details eventually reached senior naval officers responsible for planning operations against INS Vikrant.
Operation Ghazi Begins
On 14 November 1971, PNS Ghazi departed on its highly secret mission.
The submarine carried 93 personnel, including 11 officers, under the command of Captain Zafar Muhammad Khan. Despite the importance of the operation, most crew members were not informed about the mission’s exact objectives before departure.
Pakistan Naval Headquarters issued sealed orders that were to be opened only after reaching a specified location at sea. Crew members were instructed to follow predetermined coordinates and maintain strict secrecy throughout the voyage.
After departure, Ghazi moved cautiously along its designated route. To avoid detection by Indian surveillance systems, it maintained a considerable distance from the Indian coastline and traveled at controlled speeds.
The Long Journey Toward the Bay of Bengal
Over the following days, PNS Ghazi steadily advanced toward its operational zone. The submarine crossed several maritime sectors while regularly transmitting position reports to Pakistani headquarters.
Its route took it past important points in the Indian Ocean region, including areas near Sri Lanka. By 19 November 1971, Ghazi had reached the vicinity of Trincomalee, where maintenance, refueling, and operational preparations were carried out.
By this stage, the submarine had already traveled approximately 2,200 nautical miles.
Opening the Sealed Orders
Once in the designated area, Captain Zafar Muhammad Khan opened the classified orders.
The instructions contained two primary objectives.
The first and most important task was straightforward: locate and sink INS Vikrant.
The second objective was to lay naval mines near Visakhapatnam harbor if the carrier could not be found. These mines were intended to disrupt Indian naval operations and inflict damage on naval assets operating from the eastern coast.
At this point, Ghazi’s crew finally understood the true nature of their mission. Their submarine had been sent on a high-risk operation designed to alter the balance of naval power in the eastern theatre.
Searching for INS Vikrant
After departing from Sri Lankan waters, Ghazi moved toward the Madras region, where intelligence reports suggested INS Vikrant might be located.
The submarine began searching the area while simultaneously laying mines. Local fishermen reportedly noticed signs of unusual underwater activity and passed information to authorities. Combined with intercepted transmissions and intelligence assessments, Indian officials gradually became aware that a hostile submarine might be operating nearby.
Meanwhile, Captain Zafar’s crew continued placing mines at carefully measured intervals and depths. Each mine required considerable time and precision to deploy.
As one team handled mining operations, another continuously scanned the horizon through the periscope in search of INS Vikrant.
A Critical Miscalculation
During one such operation, the crew spotted a vessel approaching in the distance.
Believing they still had enough time to complete their mine-laying procedure, they continued their work. However, the vessel approached much faster than anticipated.
The ship was not INS Vikrant but another Indian naval vessel moving through the area.
Faced with the risk of collision, Ghazi executed an emergency dive to avoid detection and impact. The sudden maneuver proved disastrous.
The submarine reportedly lost balance and descended rapidly before striking the seabed. The impact caused structural damage, dislodged internal equipment, and created serious operational problems.
Some metal components were reportedly damaged or detached. More concerning was the possibility that the shock had affected the submarine’s torpedo systems, creating the risk of accidental detonation.
PNS Ghazi now found itself trapped in a dangerous situation beneath the sea.
India’s Countermove
As intelligence regarding enemy submarine activity increased, the Indian Navy initiated countermeasures.
INS Rajput was assigned an important role in the operation. Acting as a potential decoy for INS Vikrant, the destroyer moved along routes where Indian commanders believed Ghazi might be operating.
Communication signals were deliberately maintained at high levels, making the vessel easier for enemy sensors to detect.
The objective was clear: draw the submarine into revealing its position.
Sonar Contact Near Visakhapatnam
On the night of 2 December 1971, INS Rajput was returning near Visakhapatnam harbor when its sonar operators detected unusual underwater disturbances.
The sonar room identified pressure variations and sound signatures originating from beneath the surface. These signals were believed to indicate submarine activity.
With war imminent and uncertainty surrounding the contact, the Indian Navy chose not to take chances.
Captain Inder Singh ordered depth charges to be deployed near the suspected location. These powerful anti-submarine weapons were designed to create devastating underwater shockwaves capable of damaging or destroying submarines.
What happened next would become one of the most debated and fascinating naval episodes of the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
How Pakistan Deployed PNS Ghazi on a Secret Mission in 1971 | The Growing Fear of INS Vikrant |The Secret Naval Mission That Changed the 1971 War
The mission of PNS Ghazi remains one of the most dramatic submarine operations in South Asian naval history. Sent on a secret mission to destroy INS Vikrant, the submarine undertook an extraordinary journey across thousands of nautical miles under conditions of extreme secrecy.
Whether viewed as a daring strategic gamble or a mission doomed by intelligence failures and operational challenges, the story of Ghazi highlights the importance of naval warfare during the 1971 conflict. The submarine’s hunt for INS Vikrant became a defining chapter in the maritime dimension of the war and continues to be studied by military historians decades later.
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