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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox military unit
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= Western Fleet
|unit_name= Western Fleet
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The first [[Aircraft carrier]] of the Indian Navy, {{INS|Vikrant|1961|6}} was commissioned in 1961 and became the flagship of the Indian Fleet.<ref>{{cite book |title=Blueprint to bluewater, the Indian Navy, 1951-65 |year=1992 |publisher=Lancer International |isbn=9788170621485 |page=236}}</ref>
The first [[Aircraft carrier]] of the Indian Navy, {{INS|Vikrant|1961|6}} was commissioned in 1961 and became the flagship of the Indian Fleet.<ref>{{cite book |title=Blueprint to bluewater, the Indian Navy, 1951-65 |year=1992 |publisher=Lancer International |isbn=9788170621485 |page=236}}</ref>


On 1 March 1968, the [[Eastern Naval Command]] was established and the Indian Fleet was renamed as the Western Fleet.<ref>{{cite web |title=Golden Jubilee Celebrations of ENC {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/golden-jubilee-celebrations-enc |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Hiranandani |first1=G M |title=Transition to triumph : history of the Indian Navy, 1965-1975 |year=2000 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=978-1897829721}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Reorganisation of Naval Commands|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1968-JAN-APR-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1968-03-02_089.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|date=2 March 1968|access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref>
On 1 March 1968, the [[Eastern Naval Command]] was established and the Indian Fleet was renamed as the Western Fleet.<ref>{{cite web |title=Golden Jubilee Celebrations of ENC {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/golden-jubilee-celebrations-enc |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Hiranandani |first1=G M |title=Transition to triumph : history of the Indian Navy, 1965-1975 |year=2000 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=978-1897829721}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Reorganisation of Naval Commands|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1968-JAN-APR-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1968-03-02_089.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|date=2 March 1968|access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref>


==Indo-Pakistani War of 1971==
==Indo-Pakistani War of 1971==
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===Operation Trident & Operation Python===
===Operation Trident & Operation Python===
{{Main articles|Operation Trident (1971)|Operation Python}}
{{Main articles|Operation Trident (1971)|Operation Python}}
On 4 December, the fleet successfully executed [[Operation Trident (1971)|Operation Trident]], a devastating attack on the Pakistan Naval Headquarters at [[Karachi]] that sank a minesweeper, a destroyer and an ammunition supply ship. The attack also irreparably damaged another destroyer and oil storage tanks at the Karachi port.<ref name="1971 War: The First Missile Attack on Karachi">{{cite web|author1=Vice Admiral G. M. Hiranandani (retd.)|author-link1=Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani|title=1971 War: The First Missile Attack on Karachi|url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/interviews/1971-war-the-first-missile-attack-on-karachi/|website=Indian Defence Review|access-date=25 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217084537/http://www.indiandefencereview.com/interviews/1971-war-the-first-missile-attack-on-karachi/|archive-date=17 February 2017|date=11 July 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> To commemorate this, 4 December is celebrated as the [[Navy Day (India)|Navy Day]].<ref name="In 1971 Navy Day">{{cite web|title=In 1971, The Indian Navy Attempted One of the World's Most Daring War Strategies on Karachi|url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/In-1971-The-Indian-Navy-Attemped-One-Of-The-Worlds-Most-Daring-War-Strategies-On-Karachi/|website=Scoop Whoop|access-date=25 June 2017|language=En|date=9 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209141754/https://www.scoopwhoop.com/In-1971-The-Indian-Navy-Attemped-One-Of-The-Worlds-Most-Daring-War-Strategies-On-Karachi/|archive-date=9 December 2022}}</ref> This was followed by [[Operation Python]] on 8 December 1971, further deprecating the Pakistan Navy's capabilities.<ref name="1971 War: The First Missile Attack on Karachi"/>
On 4 December, the fleet successfully executed [[Operation Trident (1971)|Operation Trident]], a devastating attack on the Pakistan Naval Headquarters at [[Karachi]] that sank a minesweeper, a destroyer and an ammunition supply ship. The attack also irreparably damaged another destroyer and oil storage tanks at the Karachi port.<ref name="1971 War: The First Missile Attack on Karachi">{{cite web|author1=Vice Admiral G. M. Hiranandani (retd.)|author-link1=Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani|title=1971 War: The First Missile Attack on Karachi|url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/interviews/1971-war-the-first-missile-attack-on-karachi/|website=Indian Defence Review|access-date=25 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217084537/http://www.indiandefencereview.com/interviews/1971-war-the-first-missile-attack-on-karachi/|archive-date=17 February 2017|date=11 July 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> To commemorate this, 4 December is celebrated as the [[Navy Day (India)|Navy Day]].<ref name="In 1971 Navy Day">{{cite web|title=In 1971, The Indian Navy Attempted One of the World's Most Daring War Strategies on Karachi|url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/In-1971-The-Indian-Navy-Attemped-One-Of-The-Worlds-Most-Daring-War-Strategies-On-Karachi/|website=Scoop Whoop|access-date=25 June 2017|language=En|date=9 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209141754/https://www.scoopwhoop.com/In-1971-The-Indian-Navy-Attemped-One-Of-The-Worlds-Most-Daring-War-Strategies-On-Karachi/|archive-date=9 December 2016}}</ref> This was followed by [[Operation Python]] on 8 December 1971, further deprecating the Pakistan Navy's capabilities.<ref name="1971 War: The First Missile Attack on Karachi"/>


In the war, The Indian frigate {{INS|Khukri|F149|6}}, commanded by [[Captain (Indian Navy)|Captain]] [[Mahendra Nath Mulla]], [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] was sunk by {{ship|PNS|Hangor|S131|6}}, while {{INS|Kirpan|1959|6}} was damaged on the west coast.<ref name="The sinking of INS Kukhri">{{cite web|author1=Russell Phillips|title=The sinking of INS Kukhri|url=https://www.russellphillipsbooks.co.uk/the-sinking-of-ins-khukri/|website=Russell Phillips Books|access-date=25 June 2017|date=3 June 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
In the war, The Indian frigate {{INS|Khukri|F149|6}}, commanded by [[Captain (Indian Navy)|Captain]] [[Mahendra Nath Mulla]], [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] was sunk by {{ship|PNS|Hangor|S131|6}}, while {{INS|Kirpan|1959|6}} was damaged on the west coast.<ref name="The sinking of INS Kukhri">{{cite web|author1=Russell Phillips|title=The sinking of INS Kukhri|url=https://www.russellphillipsbooks.co.uk/the-sinking-of-ins-khukri/|website=Russell Phillips Books|access-date=25 June 2017|date=3 June 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>


==Kargil War==
==Kargil War==
The [[Indian Navy]] launched Operation Talwar on 25 May 1999. The entire Western Fleet had sailed from [[Mumbai]] to the North Arabian Sea to increase surveillance and adopt a deterrent posture. Elements of the Eastern Fleet joined the Western Fleet in the Arabian Sea later. The joint Western and Eastern Fleets blockaded the [[:Category:Ports and harbours of Pakistan|Pakistani ports]] (primarily the [[Port of Karachi|Karachi port]]).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/CP65.Grare.FINAL.pdf|title=The Resurgence of Baluch nationalism|first=Frédéric |last=Grare|publisher=[[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]]| access-date=20 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sea Power|url=http://www.forceindia.net/SeaPower.aspx|access-date=17 August 2013|newspaper=Force India|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130818112456/http://www.forceindia.net/SeaPower.aspx|archive-date=18 August 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Azam Khan|first=Cdr (Retd) Muhammad|title=Exercise Seaspark—2001|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/2001/apr/seaspark.htm|publisher=Defence Journal|access-date=17 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Indian Navy celebrates its silent Kargil victory|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/12113/report-indian-navy-celebrates-its-silent-kargil-victory|access-date=17 August 2013|newspaper=DNA India|date=30 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=General Ashok K Mehta|title=The silent sentinel|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/aug/05ashok.htm|access-date=17 August 2013|newspaper=Rediff|date=5 August 2022}}</ref> They began aggressive patrols and threatened to cut Pakistan's sea trade. This exploited Pakistan's dependence on sea-based oil and trade flows.<ref name=navy>{{cite news|title=The silent sentinel|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/aug/05ashok.htm|access-date=19 October 2014|date=5 August 1999|author=General Ashok K Mehta}}</ref> Later, then-[[Prime Minister of Pakistan]], Nawaz Sharif disclosed that Pakistan was left with just six days of fuel to sustain itself if a full-scale war had broken out.<ref name = "Globalsecurity">{{cite web| url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/kargil-99.htm|title=1999 Kargil Conflict|work=GlobalSecurity.org| access-date=20 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Bruce |last=Riedel|title=Avoiding Armageddon |publisher= HarperCollins |isbn=9350299941 |url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130428/jsp/7days/story_16836328.jsp}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Lambeth|first=Benjamin|title=Airpower at 18,000': The Indian Air Force in the Kargil War|year=2012|publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|page=54|url=http://carnegieendowment.org/files/kargil.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Hiranandani|first=G.&nbsp;M.|title=Transition to Guardianship: The Indian Navy 1991–2000|year=2009|publisher=Lancer Publishers|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-1935501268|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w2snz5Cfb0gC&q=a%20leander%20class%20frigate%20barrier&pg=PA1924}}</ref>
The [[Indian Navy]] launched Operation Talwar on 25 May 1999. The entire Western Fleet had sailed from [[Mumbai]] to the North Arabian Sea to increase surveillance and adopt a deterrent posture. Elements of the Eastern Fleet joined the Western Fleet in the Arabian Sea later. The joint Western and Eastern Fleets blockaded the [[:Category:Ports and harbours of Pakistan|Pakistani ports]] (primarily the [[Port of Karachi|Karachi port]]).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/CP65.Grare.FINAL.pdf|title=The Resurgence of Baluch nationalism|first=Frédéric |last=Grare|publisher=[[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]]| access-date=20 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sea Power|url=http://www.forceindia.net/SeaPower.aspx|access-date=17 August 2013|newspaper=Force India|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130818112456/http://www.forceindia.net/SeaPower.aspx|archive-date=18 August 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Azam Khan|first=Cdr (Retd) Muhammad|title=Exercise Seaspark—2001|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/2001/apr/seaspark.htm|publisher=Defence Journal|access-date=17 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Indian Navy celebrates its silent Kargil victory|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/12113/report-indian-navy-celebrates-its-silent-kargil-victory|access-date=17 August 2013|newspaper=DNA India|date=30 November 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=General Ashok K Mehta|title=The silent sentinel|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/aug/05ashok.htm|access-date=17 August 2013|newspaper=Rediff|date=5 August 2005}}</ref> They began aggressive patrols and threatened to cut Pakistan's sea trade. This exploited Pakistan's dependence on sea-based oil and trade flows.<ref name=navy>{{cite news|title=The silent sentinel|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/aug/05ashok.htm|access-date=19 October 2014|date=5 August 1999|author=General Ashok K Mehta}}</ref> Later, then-[[Prime Minister of Pakistan]], Nawaz Sharif disclosed that Pakistan was left with just six days of fuel to sustain itself if a full-scale war had broken out.<ref name = "Globalsecurity">{{cite web| url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/kargil-99.htm|title=1999 Kargil Conflict|work=GlobalSecurity.org| access-date=20 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Bruce |last=Riedel|title=Avoiding Armageddon |publisher= HarperCollins |isbn=9350299941 |url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130428/jsp/7days/story_16836328.jsp}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Lambeth|first=Benjamin|title=Airpower at 18,000': The Indian Air Force in the Kargil War|year=2012|publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|page=54|url=http://carnegieendowment.org/files/kargil.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Hiranandani|first=G.&nbsp;M.|title=Transition to Guardianship: The Indian Navy 1991–2000|year=2009|publisher=Lancer Publishers|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-1935501268|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w2snz5Cfb0gC&q=a%20leander%20class%20frigate%20barrier&pg=PA1924}}</ref>


==Fleet Commander==
==Fleet Commander==

Latest revision as of 11:47, 20 November 2022

Western Fleet
Founded1 March 1968
Country India
Branch Indian Navy
TypeFleet
Part ofWestern Naval Command
HeadquartersMumbai
Commanders
FOCWFRear Admiral Vineet McCarty
Notable
commanders		Rear Admiral E C Kuruvila, PVSM, AVSM

The Western Fleet is a Naval fleet of the Indian Navy. It is known as the 'Sword Arm' of the Indian Navy.[1] It is headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra on the west coast of India. It is a part of the Western Naval Command and is responsible for the naval forces in the Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.

The Western Fleet was formally constituted on 1 March 1968.[1] The Fleet is commanded by a Two Star Flag Officer of the rank of Rear Admiral with the title Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF). Rear Admiral Vineet McCarty is the current FOCWF, who took over on 15 November 2022. The current flagship of the Western Fleet is the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (R33).

The Western Fleet in 2014 with the Aircraft Carriers INS Vikramaditya (R33) (flagship) and INS Viraat (R22) in the Arabian Sea

History[edit | edit source]

After the independence and the partition of India on 15 August 1947, the ships and personnel of the Royal Indian Navy were divided between the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. The division of the ships was on the basis of two-thirds of the fleet to India, one third to Pakistan.[2]

This was then called the Indian Fleet. After her commissioning in 1948, HMIS Delhi (later called INS Delhi) became the Flagship of the Indian Fleet. The Fleet commander was styled as Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet (FOCIF). In 1956, Rear Admiral Ram Dass Katari became the first Indian flag officer, and was appointed the first Indian Commander of the Fleet on 2 October, when he took over from Rear Admiral Sir St John Tyrwhitt.[3][4] In 1957, INS Mysore was commissioned and the flag of Rear Adm Katari was transferred from INS Delhi to INS Mysore, thus becoming the flagship of the Indian Fleet.[5]

The first Aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, INS Vikrant was commissioned in 1961 and became the flagship of the Indian Fleet.[6]

On 1 March 1968, the Eastern Naval Command was established and the Indian Fleet was renamed as the Western Fleet.[7][8][9]

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971[edit | edit source]

At the outbreak of war, the Western Fleet was commanded by Rear Admiral E C Kuruvilla, PVSM, AVSM.[10] In mid 1971, The Aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, along with the frigates INS Brahmaputra and INS Beas were moved from the Western Fleet to the Eastern Naval Command.[11] Due to this, INS Mysore, once again, became the flagship of the Western Fleet.

According to Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli, the then Commander-in-Chief Western Naval Command, "The Western Fleet was given a broad directive to seek and destroy enemy warships, protect our merchant shipping, deny sealanes to enemy shipping and render ineffective the maritime line of communication between West Pakistan and East Pakistan to prevent any reinforcements from reaching the beleaguered Pakistani forces at that end."[12]


ORBAT[edit | edit source]

The Order of Battle of the Western Fleet was:[13]
Fleet Commander: Rear Admiral Elenjikal Chandy Kuruvila

Patrol Vessels

Frigates

Destroyer

Submarines

25 K Squadron - Commander Babru Bhan Yadav, MVC

251K Division

252 K Division

Operation Trident & Operation Python[edit | edit source]

Main articles: Operation Trident (1971) and Operation Python

On 4 December, the fleet successfully executed Operation Trident, a devastating attack on the Pakistan Naval Headquarters at Karachi that sank a minesweeper, a destroyer and an ammunition supply ship. The attack also irreparably damaged another destroyer and oil storage tanks at the Karachi port.[14] To commemorate this, 4 December is celebrated as the Navy Day.[15] This was followed by Operation Python on 8 December 1971, further deprecating the Pakistan Navy's capabilities.[14]

In the war, The Indian frigate INS Khukri, commanded by Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla, MVC was sunk by PNS Hangor, while INS Kirpan was damaged on the west coast.[16]

Kargil War[edit | edit source]

The Indian Navy launched Operation Talwar on 25 May 1999. The entire Western Fleet had sailed from Mumbai to the North Arabian Sea to increase surveillance and adopt a deterrent posture. Elements of the Eastern Fleet joined the Western Fleet in the Arabian Sea later. The joint Western and Eastern Fleets blockaded the Pakistani ports (primarily the Karachi port).[17][18][19][20][21] They began aggressive patrols and threatened to cut Pakistan's sea trade. This exploited Pakistan's dependence on sea-based oil and trade flows.[22] Later, then-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif disclosed that Pakistan was left with just six days of fuel to sustain itself if a full-scale war had broken out.[23][24][25][26]

Fleet Commander[edit | edit source]

Main article: Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet

The Fleet Commander is titled Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF). The appointment has been known by several titles since 1947:

  • 1947 - 1951 - Commodore Commanding Indian Naval Squadron (COMINS)
  • 1951 - 1952 - Rear Admiral Commanding Indian Naval Squadron (RACINS)
  • 1952 - 1957 - Flag Officer Commanding (Flotillas) Indian Fleet (FOCFIF)
  • 1957 - 1968 - Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet (FOCIF)
  • 1968–present - Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF)

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Western Fleet Celebrates Golden Jubilee | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  2. ↑ Bhatia (1977), p. 28: "Consequent on the partition of the country on 15 August 1947, two thirds of the undivided fleet and associated assets came to India."
  3. ↑ Singh 1992, pp. 250.
  4. ↑ Katari, Ram Dass (1982). A sailor remembers. Vikas. ISBN 9780706920642.
  5. ↑ Blueprint to bluewater, the Indian Navy, 1951-65. Lancer International. 1992. p. 80. ISBN 9788170621485.
  6. ↑ Blueprint to bluewater, the Indian Navy, 1951-65. Lancer International. 1992. p. 236. ISBN 9788170621485.
  7. ↑ "Golden Jubilee Celebrations of ENC | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  8. ↑ Hiranandani, G M (2000). Transition to triumph : history of the Indian Navy, 1965-1975. Lancer Publishers. ISBN 978-1897829721.
  9. ↑ "Reorganisation of Naval Commands" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 March 1968. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  10. ↑ Roy, Mihir (1995). War in the Indian Ocean. Lancer Publishers. p. 285. ISBN 9781897829110.
  11. ↑ Krishnan, Nilakanta (2011). A Sailor's story. Punya Pub. ISBN 978-8189534141.
  12. ↑ Kohli, Sourendra Nath (2003). We dared. John Blake. ISBN 978-1844540013.
  13. ↑ Cardozo, Maj Gen Ian (2006). The sinking of INS Khukri : survivors' stories. Lotus Collection. pp. 181–182. ISBN 9788174364999.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Vice Admiral G. M. Hiranandani (retd.) (11 July 2015). "1971 War: The First Missile Attack on Karachi". Indian Defence Review. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  15. ↑ "In 1971, The Indian Navy Attempted One of the World's Most Daring War Strategies on Karachi". Scoop Whoop. 9 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  16. ↑ Russell Phillips (3 June 2013). "The sinking of INS Kukhri". Russell Phillips Books. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  17. ↑ Grare, Frédéric. "The Resurgence of Baluch nationalism" (PDF). Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  18. ↑ "Sea Power". Force India. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  19. ↑ Azam Khan, Cdr (Retd) Muhammad. "Exercise Seaspark—2001". Defence Journal. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  20. ↑ "Indian Navy celebrates its silent Kargil victory". DNA India. 30 November 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  21. ↑ General Ashok K Mehta (5 August 2005). "The silent sentinel". Rediff. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  22. ↑ General Ashok K Mehta (5 August 1999). "The silent sentinel". Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  23. ↑ "1999 Kargil Conflict". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  24. ↑ Riedel, Bruce. Avoiding Armageddon. HarperCollins. ISBN 9350299941.
  25. ↑ Lambeth, Benjamin (2012). Airpower at 18,000': The Indian Air Force in the Kargil War (PDF). Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. p. 54.
  26. ↑ Hiranandani, G. M. (2009). Transition to Guardianship: The Indian Navy 1991–2000. New Delhi: Lancer Publishers. ISBN 978-1935501268.
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