ABSTRACT
This chapter gives details of the aircrafts and ships held by the opposing forces and their strategies. Pakistan had a small navy compared to the Indian one. The eastern fleet, spear-headed by INS Vikrant, established its supremacy in the Bay of Bengal and effectively blockaded all the ports of East Pakistan. Taking a cue from the Arab-Israel Six Day War, the PAF carried out pre-emptive air strikes at many IAF bases on 3 December 1971 but could not cause much damage. The IAF was overwhelmingly superior. To avoid damage, the PAF remained majorly passive and resorted to air defence roles with occasional close air support missions for the army. The IAF strategised to ensure air superiority in the eastern theatre and air parity in the western theatre.
