PNS Muhafiz

PNS Muhafiz was an Adjutant-class minesweeper of the Pakistan Navy.[2] It was built by the United States for transfer to Pakistan.[2] PNS Muhafiz was sunk by a missile from INS Veer of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.[1][2]

This article is about the ship in service from 1955–1971. It is not to be confused with the in-service Munsif-class ship of the same name.
History
NamePNS Muhafiz (M 163)[1]
BuilderBellingham Shipyards Co., Bellingham, Washington, USA[1]
Laid downas AMS-138[1]
Commissioned6 February 1955[1]
FateSunk by INS Veer on 4 December 1971[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeAdjutant-class minesweeper[1]
Displacement362 tons [1]
Length144 ft 3 in (43.97 m)[1]
Beam27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)[1]
Draught12 ft (3.7 m)[1]
Propulsion2 × 880 bhp (656 kW) General Motors 8-268A diesel engines[1]
Speed13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)[1]
Complement40[1]
Armament1 × twin 20-mm[1]

PNS Zulfiqar (K265) of Pakistan was also damaged beyond repair by friendly fire from aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) which mistook her for a missile boat of the Indian Navy during the same war.[3] India also lost INS Khukri in this war.[4][5]

Operation Trident
Main article: Operation Trident (1971)

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, The minesweeper PNS Muhafiz was tasked to patrol the approaches to port of Karachi. To do so it was deployed on the inner cordon.

Late that evening on 4 December 1971, around 70 miles south of Karachi, the INS Veer detected a large Pakistan Navy target, later identified as the Muhafiz on patrol to its north. Veer launched a single SS-N-2 Styx missile on the target, sinking Muhafiz.[6] It was later learned that at 23:30 the Muhafiz was hit by Styx missiles, and sank in the Indian Ocean at about 23:35.

Other vessels of the Indian Navy strike group sank the Pakistan Navy destroyer, PNS Khaibar and the merchant ship Venus Challenger (carrying navy personnel and ammunition for Pakistan),[6] and caused irreparable damage to the destroyer PNS Shah Jahan.

See also

References
  1. "AMS-138". Navsource.org. Archived from the original on 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  2. "Minesweepers MSO MSC MSI MHC MCM Post-War". Shipbuildinghistory.com. 2011-12-23. Archived from the original on 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  3. "Trident, Grandslam and Python: Attacks on Karachi". Archived from the original on 26 September 2009.
  4. "The Sinking of INS Khukri". Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers Journal. russellphillipsbooks. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  5. Archived 13 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Chapter-10". Indiannavy.nic.in. Archived from the original on 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2012-04-24.


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