PNS Zulfiqar
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | PNS Zulfiqar |
| Fate: | Damaged beyond repair December 1971 |
| General characteristics | |
PNS Zulfiqar was an frigate of the Pakistan Navy. Zulfiqar was damaged beyond repair by friendly fire by the aircraft of Pakistan Air Force which mistook it as a missile boat of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971[1]
Operation Trident
The Pakistan Navy, on high alert as a result of the Operation Trident, raised a number of false alarms in the ensuing days about the presence of Indian Navy vessels off Karachi. One such false alarm was raised by a Pakistan Navy Fokker Friendship reconnaissance aircraft carrying naval observers, in the early hours of 6 December 1971 which reported a Pakistan Navy frigate as a missile boat of the Indian Navy, in the area west of Cape Monze on the Pakistani coast..[1] The Pakistan Air Force giving air support to the Pakistan Navy at Karachi, had received the report.
The Pakistan Naval Headquarters ordered a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) air strike on the ship that had been identified as an Indian missile boat. At 0645 hrs, fighter jets were scrambled which strafed the vessel before it was identified as Pakistan Navy's own frigate Zulfiqar.[1] As a result of this air strike the Zulfiqar took 900 hits of .50 ammo killing several officers and men, with many more injured.[2] The air attack on Zulfiqar was halted after frantic efforts by Zulfiqars crew to get itself identified as a PNS ship finally succeeded.[1]
The incident had happened in spite of Zulfiqar being anchored. As a result of this attack Pakistan Navy decided bring back the Pakistani fleet closer to the Pakistani shore.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Trident, Grandslam and Python: Attacks on Karachi".
- ↑ "DEFENCE NOTES". defencejournal.com. Retrieved April 25, 2012.