During the 1971 India–Pakistan war, which led to the liberation of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan), the US and UK sided with Pakistan and moved their warships into the region.
On 13 December 1971, US President Richard Nixon redirected the 7th Fleet, led by the USS Enterprise – a 75,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and one of the most powerful warships in the world at the time toward the Bay of Bengal. The move was widely seen as an attempt to pressure India and stop it from completing the liberation of Bangladesh.
by Effective_Bluebird19
13 Comments
In response, Prime Minister **Indira Gandhi** turned to Moscow and asked the Soviet Union to act under the Indo-Soviet treaty. The USSR then sent a naval force, including a **nuclear submarine**, from **Vladivostok** under Admiral **Vladimir Kuroyedov**, with orders to block any American attempt to directly threaten India.
The Soviets then made a dramatic move. For the first time, they brought a **nuclear submarine to the surface intentionally**, making sure the Americans could clearly see they were there.
The message was unmistakable: **any escalation against India could risk a direct confrontation with the Soviet Union**.
As the story is often told, the American side immediately understood that the situation had changed. The quote commonly attributed to them is:
**“We are too late, the Russians are already here.”**
The US fleet ultimately did not intervene. The war ended with **Pakistan’s defeat** and the **birth of Bangladesh**.
This episode is one of the main reasons many in India came to view **Russia / the Soviet Union as India’s most dependable strategic partner**.
PNS hehehe
Erm… what’s with the 18th century era UK flag?, I’ve seen that a lot recently, mostly of non UK accounts conflating Scotland with the Republic of Ireland
Why aren’t the Soviets that supportive to the Arabs in their conflict with Israel?
How dare the Indians stop a genocide?? Let’s give the genocide enabler (Kissinger) a Nobel peace prize as consolation
OK, I got a question. Why is a minesweeper getting top billing?
rare Soviet W, common Pakistan L, common PRC L
I really do not know how people keep using the wrong flag for the UK.
What are you googling?
Those nations were ruled by Zionists, even today they are ruled by Zionists.
Fuck Nixon, I am pissing on his grave when I get the chance. This man was fine with genocides possibly because of his racism while he himself looks like an ugly mug
One of my Indian buddies told me India was more or less expecting the Soviets to say “it’s out of our hands” to avoid a global nuclear war if the Americans started to launch strikes into the bengal area, as the Soviets hadn’t done anything direct themselves to defend Vietnam (other than send them weapons) after the US started pummeling them with airstrikes. In fact, the Indian response plan was to literally try and rush the Enterprise with fighter jets to kamikaze into it (which would’ve been a bad idea as the Enterprise had a standing combat air patrol and multiple missile-armed escorts).
**The whole point is moot anyways** *because the war ended before the USS Enterprise even showed* up because it had to steam slowly so the logistics ships, the slowest ships in the task force, didn’t get left behind
I am sorry but I have been trying to research it.
I can’t find any evidence from non Indian sources that UK sent any warship to India during that time.
The Soviets in ’71 would not have been able to defeat the USN.