According to Indian media reports, the incident was triggered by provocative actions from Pakistan, but is India’s naval “reconnaissance art” truly as sophisticated as claimed?

Indian warship monitoring Pakistani military drills collides with Pakistani vessel

According to reports from Indian and Pakistani media, on the 15th, an Indian destroyer collided with a Pakistani frigate in the Arabian Sea. Following the incident, both countries summoned each other’s diplomats to lodge formal protests. However, they offered conflicting accounts of the cause.

Pakistan stated that the incident occurred within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where the Pakistan Navy was conducting exercises at the time. It claimed the Indian warship ignored repeated warnings, remained in proximity, and conducted aggressive maneuvers, ultimately leading to the collision.

India, by contrast, asserted that the location was international waters and maintained that the Pakistani vessel approached too closely, resulting in the collision.

In addition to mutual accusations, both sides alleged violations of the 1991 agreement requiring prior notification of military exercises. Pakistan accused India of deploying a warship near the exercise area despite knowing of the ongoing drills, while India contended that Pakistan failed to provide timely notice of the exercise zone, contributing to the accident.

While the precise circumstances remain unclear, it is confirmed that the incident took place within Pakistan’s EEZ. However, an EEZ is not territorial waters, and although foreign warships enjoy freedom of navigation, they are expected to comply with coastal state regulations and refrain from actions that could compromise the safety of ongoing military operations.

A more plausible interpretation is that Pakistan was conducting naval exercises at the time, prompting India to deploy a warship into the EEZ for surveillance and intelligence gathering, possibly engaging in borderline activities. This may have prompted Pakistan to issue a warning or initiate a clearance maneuver, leading to a tense encounter and eventual collision.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876563913910336/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.