Indian warship rammed by Pakistani vessel: How grey-zone tactics are entering the Arabian Sea

On Tuesday evening, an Indian Navy ship engaged in a collision with a Pakistani vessel in the Northern Arabian Sea. The Indian ship was conducting routine operations when it was approached by a Pakistani naval ship moving at high speed. According to an Indian Navy source, the Pakistani ship's maneuvering was unprofessional and unsafe, resulting in the collision with no reported damage.

Another source stated that the incident violated mutually agreed confidence-building measures, prompting diplomatic action. The Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Pakistani Charge d'Affaires and instructed the Indian counterpart to raise the issue with Islamabad. This marks the second such incident in the past decade, following a similar collision in 2011 where a Pakistani warship rammed into an Indian vessel.

Naval ramming, a tactic dating back to ancient times, has been employed in various conflicts, including the American Civil War, World Wars, and the Cod Wars. China's use of ramming and water cannons in the South China Sea exemplifies grey zone warfare, a tactic used to advance strategic goals while avoiding open conflict. The incident has reignited discussions on the India-Pakistan confidence-building framework, specifically Article 10 of the 1991 agreement governing military exercises, and the unfinished Lahore Declaration, which aimed to prevent incidents between the naval and air forces of the two nuclear-armed nations.