PNS Muhafiz explained

PNS Muhafiz was an Adjutant-class minesweeper of the Pakistan Navy.[1] It was built by the United States for transfer to Pakistan.[1] PNS Muhafiz was sunk by a missile from of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.[1]

PNS Zulfiqar (K265) of Pakistan was also damaged beyond repair by friendly fire from aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) which mistook her for a missile boat of the Indian Navy during the same war.[2] India also lost in this war.[3] [4]

Operation Trident

See main article: article and Operation Trident (1971). During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, The minesweeper PNS Muhafiz was tasked to patrol the approaches to port of Karachi. To do so it was deployed on the inner cordon.

Late that evening on 4 December 1971, around 70 miles south of Karachi, the detected a large Pakistan Navy target, later identified as the Muhafiz on patrol to its north. Veer launched a single SS-N-2 Styx missile on the target, sinking Muhafiz.[5] It was later learned that at 23:30 the Muhafiz was hit by Styx missiles, and sank in the Indian Ocean at about 23:35.

Other vessels of the Indian Navy strike group sank the Pakistan Navy destroyer, and the merchant ship (carrying navy personnel and ammunition for Pakistan),[5] and caused irreparable damage to the destroyer .

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Minesweepers MSO MSC MSI MHC MCM Post-War . Shipbuildinghistory.com . 2011-12-23 . 2012-04-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120228194133/http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/smallships/minesweepers3.htm . 2012-02-28 . dead .
  2. Web site: Trident, Grandslam and Python: Attacks on Karachi. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090926174134/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/History/1971War/44-Attacks-On-Karachi.html. 26 September 2009. dmy-all.
  3. Web site: The Sinking of INS Khukri. Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers Journal.. russellphillipsbooks. 20 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120326015444/http://www.russellphillipsbooks.co.uk/articles/ins-khukri.php. 26 March 2012. dead.
  4. http://www.spsnavalforces.net/mn_mulla.asp
  5. Web site: Chapter-10 . Indiannavy.nic.in . 2012-04-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120223133540/http://indiannavy.nic.in/t2t2e/Trans2Trimph/chapters/10_1971%20wnc1.htm . 2012-02-23 .