Was Pakistan Navy vessel shadowing the Indian destroyer it collided with?

On September 15, Pakistan Navy’s PNS Hunain collided with an Indian Navy destroyer in the North Arabian Sea. Sources within India’s defence establishment note that the Pakistani vessel shadowed the Indian ship, ignored multiple warnings and then made a high-speed crossing directly in front of the bow, resulting in the crash. The incident has resulted in diplomatic tensions with both sides summoning top diplomats

A collision between ships has sparked diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, with each side summoning diplomats on Wednesday (September 16) to lodge their protest.

New Delhi protested with Pakistan’s charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, accusing the Pakistan Navy of “unacceptable and unprofessional conduct” leading to a collision with an Indian Navy unit. It also noted that the collision violated the 1991 bilateral agreement requiring naval ships and submarines of both countries to keep at least three nautical miles apart in international waters.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned a top Indian diplomat and lodged a strong protest over the “highly provocative and unacceptable” action by the Indian vessel in Pakistani waters.

But what exactly led to the collision between the two vessels? How serious was the crash?

Here’s what we found out so far.

Which 2 ships were involved in the collision?

The collision between the Indian Navy and Pakistan Navy ships occurred on September 15 in the North Arabian Sea, near Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), part of international waters.

According to Pakistan’s local media, the Indian vessel involved in the incident was INS Kolkata. However, there is no confirmation from the Indian side on the vessel. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Navy ship was PNS Hunain, a Yarmook-class corvette that was built by Damen Shipyards in Galați, Romania.

Commissioned by Pakistan in 2024, the PNS Hunain can reportedly carry anti-ship missiles and surface-to-air missiles. Moreover, it is designed for long-endurance patrols, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, and limited naval combat responsibilities.

The Pakistan Navy noted that PNS Hunain was taking part in the biennial exercise Seaspark-26 when the collision occurred.

How did the collision between the vessels unfold?

According to sources within the Indian establishment, the collision between PNS Hunain and the Indian vessel took place owing to the reckless behaviour of the Pakistan Navy’s ship.

They noted that the Indian vessel was deployed to escort ships passing through the Gulf of Oman and therefore positioned there, read a report by The Print.

The sources added that the PNS Hunain then closed in on the Indian vessel and undertook a series of manoeuvres that can only be called “unprofessional and unsafe”. The vessels subsequently collided.

A News18 report citing sources added that the Pakistan Navy’s ship shadowed its Indian counterpart, ignored repeated warnings and then made a high-speed crossing directly in front of its bow, resulting in the crash.

Sources added that the Indian vessel’s captain issued numerous warnings to the Pakistan vessel over maritime channels, which were ignored.

The Pakistani warship then accelerated from the Indian vessel’s starboard side (right side of the vessel) before cutting across its bow at high speed. The manoeuvre reportedly brought the two ships into dangerous proximity and resulted in physical contact.

“Even under extreme provocation by the Pakistan side, the Indian Navy captain exercised extreme restraint by taking actions to prevent a severe accident from taking place, which could have caused serious loss of life and damage,” the sources were quoted as saying.

Indian authorities note that the Pakistan Navy’s move was calculated rather than accidental. Moreover, operational logs show that there was no evidence of mechanical failure aboard the PNS Hunain (F-273) before the naval incident.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has presented another version of events. Islamabad alleged that the Indian vessel carried out aggressive manoeuvres in dangerously proximity to the Pakistani naval ship, resulting in contact between the two vessels.

Did the collision between cause damage?

The Ministry of External Affairs noted that the Indian vessel and its crew were safe and sound after the incident. Additionally, the Indian Navy vessel continued its mission after the collision.

However, PNS Hunain reportedly suffered a huge dent and a possible crack, forcing it to return to harbour. An X account by the name @Goreunit claimed that four of its crew, including a commodore and seamen, were critically injured in the PNS Hunain collision.

It further added that Pakistan’s Surgeon Commodore Fowad Khurshid Imami personally visited the four injured PNS Hunain personnel in the hospital, adding that one of the seamen suffered severe injuries to his back and leg and will require surgery.

How have India and Pakistan reacted to the collision?

The collision in the waters has led to a diplomatic spat between the two countries, with either side summoning the top diplomat to lodge their protest.

India summoned Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi on Wednesday and lodged a strong protest. “The CDA was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs today, and a strong protest was lodged with him over the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea that led to a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The MEA further added that it was a direct contravention of Article 10 of the April 1991 agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements.

Meanwhile, Pakistan also summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Indian High Commission to protest the collision. The Pakistan Foreign Office noted that the incident risked escalating tensions in the region. Islamabad also called on the international community to urge India to refrain from what it described as “irresponsible actions” that could further destabilise South Asia.

“The region can ill-afford to remain perpetually hostage to India’s reckless pursuit of conflict and instability,” the ministry said, as per a Dawn report.

Has such a collision ever taken place before?

The September 15 collision between the Indian Navy and Pakistan Navy ships revives memories of a similar one involving the Indian Navy’s INS Godavari and the Pakistan Navy’s PNS Babur in June 2011.

At the time, the two warships came into contact in the Gulf of Aden while carrying out operations to rescue merchant vessel MV Suez from the pirates. New Delhi accused the Pakistan Navy vessel of making an unsafe manoeuvre and invoked the same 1991 agreement. Islamabad, however, had lodged a counter-protest and presented a different account of the incident, blaming the Indian Navy ship.