How dangerous was Indian Navy warship's collision with Pakistan Navy vessel? PNS Hunain 'damaged', Islamabad stays silent

The Pakistan Navy vessel that collided with an Indian Navy ship in international waters in the Arabian Sea reportedly suffered "significant damage". The collision is the first publicly known incident involving India and Pakistan in the military domain since the four-day hostilities in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack.

According to a Times Now report quoting sources, the Pakistani vessel, PNS Hunain, suffered "significant damage along one side of its hull", while the Indian Navy ship escaped without damage.

Several feet of the Pakistani vessel appeared to have been affected by the collision, the report said, citing sources.

Significantly, Pakistan has maintained silence over the incident and the reported damage to its naval vessel. None of Pakistan's English-language news outlets appeared to have reported the collision, even as India formally took up the matter with Islamabad.

India summoned Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires Saad Warraich and lodged a strong protest over what it described as the "unacceptable and unprofessional conduct" of Pakistani naval units. The ministry of external affairs said the Pakistani diplomat was summoned and a "strong protest was lodged with him over the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea that caused the collision last night".

Warraich was also asked to convey to the Pakistani authorities the need for military units to exercise due care and respect provisions of the relevant agreements between the two countries to prevent a recurrence.

A dangerous affair 

The incident has highlighted the dangers associated with warships manoeuvring in close proximity at sea.

Former Navy spokesperson Captain D.K. Sharma pointed out that there are rules, regulations, and distances to be kept and maintained between two ships at sea, be it warships or merchant vessels. According to news agency ANI, he warned that vessels coming dangerously close to one another could create a situation in which "things can snowball within no time".

Sharma said India had exercised restraint, lodged a protest and warned that such conduct would not be accepted by the Indian Navy.

Former Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dr S.P. Vaid also said the incident could have resulted in a "major tragedy", while describing it as a violation of the mutual agreement between India and Pakistan. "This could have led to a major tragedy, but fortunately, not much damage occurred," Vaid said.

Kargil War veteran Major Rakesh, a Shaurya Chakra recipient, in a tweet, described the collision as more than a maritime accident and said it demonstrated how quickly close encounters involving naval vessels can become dangerous.

"The PNS Hunain–Indian Navy collision is more than a maritime accident. It is a reminder that close encounters at sea can turn dangerous within seconds," he wrote.

He said lessons for the Indian Navy included detecting intent rather than merely movement, maintaining sufficient stand-off distance and manoeuvring space, and training bridge teams to respond to high-speed and unpredictable approaches.

He also stressed the importance of clear standard operating procedures when warnings are ignored, combining radar, EO/IR, AIS and communications for quicker assessments, and preserving radar tracks, VHF transmissions and visual records.

"At sea, anticipation is the first line of defence," he said.