2024-07-29 01:34:03
Islamabad: Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year on 26 July in India. During this, the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Kargil war are remembered. This war took place in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir from May to July 1999. This year India has celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Kargil war. Although this war was fought on the high peaks of the Himalayas, its effect was seen till the sea. The Indian Navy took the front in the Arabian Sea and surrounded Pakistan in its own home. During this time the Indian Navy did not use force even once, despite this the Pakistani Navy did not get a chance to get out of Karachi. Know how?
Kargil war and strategy of the three armies
The Kargil War started shortly after the signing of the Lahore Declaration in 1999, when the Pakistani Army secretly occupied Indian Army posts that had been vacated for the winter. It is believed that the entire strategy of this war was devised by the then Pakistani Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf himself. The infiltration was detected on May 3, 1999 and on May 26, the Indian Air Force carried out its first air strike. After this, the Indian Army launched Operation Vijay to drive out the infiltrators from Indian territory. After two months of violent confrontation, the Kargil War ended on July 26, 1999.
What were the names of the operations of the three armies
In this war, three coordinated but separate operations were carried out by the armed forces: The Indian Army launched ‘Operation Vijay’, which was used as a large operation. The Air Force launched ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ and the Navy launched ‘Operation Talwar’. The names of the three operations may be different, but their objective was one, to teach Pakistan a lesson. This is what happened. The massive attacks of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force ripped apart the Pakistani armed forces and in just two months of war, General Musharraf’s army fled from Kargil.
Objectives of Operation Talwar
According to the Eurasian Times, in its defensive role, the Indian Navy’s aim of Operation Talwar was to prevent Pakistan from launching a seaborne invasion of India. The Navy first focused on protecting its assets in the maritime domain, to counter any potential surprise attack by Pakistan. The second goal was to deny Pakistan any chance to claim victory and ensure that the Navy would open a new front in the south if Pakistan tried to escalate the conflict beyond the Kargil region.
India had used pressure diplomacy
The report quoted retired Captain Sarabjit Parmar, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies, USI Delhi, as saying, “Operation Talwar was a kind of ‘pressure diplomacy’. It was a carefully planned operation, with ships strategically positioned to put pressure on Pakistan without infringing upon its sovereignty over its maritime territories, all in accordance with international law. And, obviously, Pakistan felt the impact.”
Pakistan’s sea power had failed
In its offensive role, Operation Talwar sought to weaken Pakistan’s maritime capabilities. The navy’s objective was to block routes in the Arabian Sea by combining the eastern and western fleets and disrupt Pakistani trade routes by conducting naval exercises in the region. India’s naval build-up was widely seen as a key factor in pressuring Pakistan to withdraw from the Kargil war. “The naval deployment covered the North Arabian Sea, from our own coast to the Strait of Hormuz. Once you go beyond the territorial sea, you enter maritime areas that are not considered sovereign territory. So, operations there are governed by international laws and conditions,” Parmar said.
Indian Navy action in Arabian Sea
The Indian Navy aggressively patrolled the water borders and deployed the largest fleet of 33 combat ships in the Arabian Sea. They effectively blocked Pakistan’s trade route to Karachi and the routes leading to Pakistani ports. Additionally, the Navy intercepted and seized a North Korean ship carrying weapons and missile components for Pakistan’s war effort. The Navy not only showed its might; it also played mind games. To further confuse Pakistan, the Navy began naval exercises in the North Arabian Sea, named ‘SummerEx’, aimed at weakening Pakistan diplomatically and economically. The naval presence was intimidating enough to create fears of a possible economic crisis in Pakistan.
Strategic impact of Indian Navy’s action
Through Operation Talwar, the then Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar sent a ‘silent’ but clear message to Pakistan. It was a clear demonstration of both intent and capability. Pakistan had not anticipated the extent of Indian Navy’s actions, which led to the Pakistan Navy shifting its assets from Karachi fearing a possible Indian naval attack on the port. India’s proactive deployment of high-tempo operations including naval aviation, submarines, amphibious units, coast guard assets and electronic warfare exercises sent a clear message.