When Pakistan's PNS Hunain collided with the Indian Navy's warship, likely the INS Kolkata, in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, it was nothing less than a David vs Goliath moment. While the PNS Hunain is a 2,600-tonne offshore patrol vessel, INS Kolkata is one of India's most powerful and advanced warships, nearly three times its weight (7,400 tonnes). Clearly, Pakistan picked the wrong ship to mess with.
The outcome was there for all to see. While the Pakistani vessel suffered a massive dent on its front arch and had to return to the harbour for repairs, the Indian destroyer continued with its operational deployment. The MEA stated that the Indian warship did not suffer any structural damage.
While the MEA hasn't specified which warship was involved in the collision, Pakistan has said it was the INS Kolkata - one of the three Kolkata-class destroyers.
Defence analyst Sandeep Unnithan told India Today that the difference between the two warships is "enormous".
PAK VESSEL COLLIDES WITH INDIAN WARSHIP
The incident, however, has sparked diplomatic tensions, with both countries summoning envoys. India said the warship was on a routine surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea when the Pakistani vessel started to shadow it. The PNS Hunain was in the region as part of the Pakistan navy's Sea Spark exercise.
Sources said the Pakistani ship was moving at high speed before a close-range manoeuvre resulted in it grazing INS Kolkata. According to reports, PNS Hunain suffered a huge dent and a possible crack. An OSINT account, War and Gore, claimed that four Pakistani personnel were injured in the incident. However, there has been no official statement from Pakistan.
The incident, however, has brought into sharp focus the striking mismatch in the capabilities of the ships involved - INS Kolkata and PNS Hunain.
Unnithan said the incident could have gone horribly wrong for Pakistan. "If INS Kolkata had turned around, to protect its crew, and rammed the Pakistani ship, it would have just toppled over and sunk. It was a very dangerous kind of manoeuvre that Pakistan attempted," he said.