Indian, Pakistani Naval Vessels Collide in Arabian Sea, Prompting Diplomatic Tensions

On September 15, the Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata and the Pakistan Navy corvette PNS Hunain collided in the northern Arabian Sea. This incident marks the first time tensions between the two nations have openly erupted since the military clashes in May 2025. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi the following day to protest the "unacceptable and unprofessional conduct" of Pakistani naval units. According to the MEA statement, while the incident, which occurred in international waters, did not cause major damage, the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the "Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements" signed in April 1991. Article 10 of the agreement, signed as a confidence-building measure to prevent crises arising from misreading intentions, stipulates that naval ships and submarines of both countries should not come within three nautical miles (approximately 5.5 kilometers) of each other while operating in international waters. The agreement was concluded following heightened tensions after India's massive military exercise "Brass Tacks" in January 1987 along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab and Rajasthan. Meanwhile, Pakistan also blamed India for the incident. The Pakistan Foreign Office stated that "while the Pakistan Navy was undertaking its biennial exercise, SEASPARK-26, the Indian vessel carried out aggressive maneuvers in dangerously close proximity to a Pakistani naval ship, resulting in contact between the two vessels." While the MEA described the incident as a "collision," officials aware of the matter indicated that it was caused by the Pakistani vessel's aggressive maneuvering at high speed towards the Indian warship. Sources within India's defense establishment reported that the Pakistani vessel shadowed the Indian ship, ignored multiple warnings, and then crossed directly in front of the ship at high speed, leading to the collision. INS Kolkata was on a routine mission when PNS Hunain approached while attempting to intercept or follow it. This close-range maneuver caused the two vessels to graze each other. The Pakistani vessel sustained damage in the collision and returned to harbor, while INS Kolkata continued its mission with minor damage. Collisions involving naval warships are rare, and this is the first such incident since 2011, when Pakistan's PNS Babur "brushed past" INS Godavari in the Gulf of Aden, causing minor damage and triggering diplomatic tension. Following the collision, both countries summoned the other's Chargé d’Affaires to lodge strong protests and instructed their own Chargé d’Affaires to register complaints with the respective governments. "Pakistan was advised to convey to the concerned Pakistani authorities, the need for all military units to observe due care and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two sides in order to prevent any repeat of such incidents," the MEA statement said. Source: The Diplomat Indonesia