Full Breakdown
India-Pakistan Naval Collision Raises Tensions Over 1991 Maritime Agreement
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Collision in the North Arabian Sea
On September 15, 2026, a Pakistan Navy offshore patrol vessel, PNS Hunain, collided with an Indian frontline warship while the Indian ship was conducting a routine surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea. Pakistan identified the Indian vessel as the guided-missile destroyer INS Kolkata; India has not confirmed the name. The Indian warship sustained no reported damage and continued its mission, while PNS Hunain returned to port for repairs.
Background & Context
The incident follows the four-day air war of May 2025 (Operation Sindoor) that brought the nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of conflict after the Pahalgam terror attack. The last direct naval encounter occurred in June 2011, when Pakistan’s PNS Babur brushed against India’s INS Godavari in the Gulf of Aden. Both navies operate under the April 1991 bilateral agreement on advance notice of military exercises; Article 10 requires ships to keep a minimum distance of three nautical miles (?5.5 km) in international waters. Pakistan’s navy was conducting its biennial SEASPARK-26 exercise inside its exclusive economic zone from September 1, 2026.
Timeline
- September 1, 2026 – Pakistan begins SEASPARK-26.
- September 7, 2026 – Pakistan says INS Kolkata repeatedly attempted to enter the exercise area.
- September 15, 2026 – Collision occurs.
- September 16, 2026 – India summons Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires, lodges a protest; Pakistan summons the Indian diplomat in response.
Data & Statistics
- PNS Hunain: Yarmook-class offshore patrol vessel, displacement ? 2,600 t, commissioned July 2024, built by Damen Shipyards in Romania.
- Indian warship: Kolkata-class destroyer, displacement > 7,000 t.
- Safety rule: Article 10 of the 1991 agreement mandates a separation of at least three nautical miles.
Official Statements & Responses
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the Pakistani conduct “unacceptable and unprofessional,” a contravention of Article 10, and summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires, Saad Warraich. The MEA added that the incident caused no major damage.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office rejected the allegation, stating that the Indian vessel made a “dangerous” change of course that entered Pakistan’s EEZ and violated the same agreement. Pakistan summoned India’s Charge d’Affaires, Satyanjal Pandey, and lodged a protest describing the action as “highly provocative and unacceptable.”
Criticism & Opposition
- Vice Admiral Ahmad Saeed (retired, Pakistan Navy) noted the absence of a bilateral incidents-at-sea agreement or navy-to-navy hotline, heightening the risk of unintended escalation.
- Muhammad Shareh Qazi, a Lahore-based security analyst, emphasized that the 1991 pact requires 30 days’ written notice before exercises and that no escalation tools such as chaff were employed.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- India omits the vessel’s name, while Pakistan names INS Kolkata.
- Pakistan claims the Indian ship entered its EEZ; India maintains the collision happened in international waters.
- Damage to PNS Hunain is reported as “severe” by some Indian sources, but detailed assessments from Pakistan are absent.
Why It Matters
This is the first direct naval encounter since the 2025 air conflict, testing the limited confidence-building mechanisms that have prevented accidental war between two nuclear powers. Repeated breaches of Article 10 could undermine the maritime safety framework and increase the probability of miscalculation.
What’s Next
Both foreign ministries indicated that diplomatic channels will continue to address the incident; no further scheduled meetings or deadlines are mentioned in the available reports.