Pakistan Navy vessel collides with Indian warship in Arabian Sea

A Pakistan Navy corvette collided with a frontline Indian Navy warship after approaching it at high speed and manoeuvring in an “unsafe and unprofessional” manner in the North Arabian Sea on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) evening. The incident prompted India to summon Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires and lodge a strong diplomatic protest.

Defence Ministry sources said the incident took place in international waters while the Indian warship was on a routine surveillance mission. PNS Hunain (F-273) approached the Indian vessel while attempting to intercept or follow it. The close-range manoeuvre caused the two vessels to graze each other.

Sources said PNS Hunain sustained damage in the collision and returned to the harbour. The Indian naval vessel suffered minor damage and continued on its mission. No casualties or major damage were reported from the incident.

“The Chargé d’Affaires of the High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in New Delhi was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs today, and a strong protest was lodged with him over the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea that led to a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

“While the incident, which took place in international waters, did not cause any 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 of April 1991,” the Ministry said.

The Pakistani diplomat was advised to convey to the authorities in Pakistan the need for all military units to exercise due care and respect the provisions of relevant bilateral agreements to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

The Indian Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad has been instructed to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government said.

PNS Hunain is a Yarmook-class offshore patrol vessel built by Damen Shipyards in Romania and commissioned into the Pakistan Navy in July 2024. It is about 98 metres long and is designed for maritime security, surveillance, and patrol missions. It has a flight deck and can transport a helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle, besides carrying two rigid-hull inflatable boats for maritime-security tasks.

The latest incident comes amid the continued deployment of Indian and Pakistani naval assets in the Arabian Sea. The exact circumstances leading to the close manoeuvring and collision are likely to be examined by the two sides through respective channels.