The Indian Navy's recently acquired deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) has located the wreckage of PNS Ghazi, a Pakistani submarine that sank off the coast of Vishakhapatnam during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
The Tench-class submarine, previously known as USS Diablo in the United States Navy, was found by the Indian Navy at a depth of approximately 100 meters, nearly 2 to 2.5 kilometers off the coast. The Indian Navy has opted not to disturb the submarine out of respect for those who lost their lives.
The sinking of PNS Ghazi was a significant event during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war, culminating in the creation of Bangladesh in 1972. The submarine had 93 crew members (11 officers and 82 sailors) on board when it sank off the Visakhapatnam coast.
PNS Ghazi, a US-made submarine, was deployed by Pakistan to gather intelligence on India's eastern seaboard and to target and sink INS Vikrant, India's majestic-class aircraft carrier. Departing from Karachi on November 14, 1971, PNS Ghazi quietly covered 4,800 kilometers around the Indian peninsula before reaching the Vizag coast. It was ultimately sunk by the Indian destroyer INS Rajput, which dropped depth charges. While India attributes the sinking to its naval action, Pakistan claims it was due to accidental explosions.
The discovery of PNS Ghazi adds to the historical significance of the Bay of Bengal's floor near the Vishakhapatnam coast. The wreckage of the Imperial Japanese Navy's (RO-110) submarine, which sank during World War II on February 12, 1944, is also present in the vicinity. Veteran naval personnel assert that both submarines rest at the bottom of the sea near the Vizag coast.