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BREAKING NEWS
U S 7th Fleet heading for East Pakistan?
Gunboat Diplomacy by Nixon.

Dec 10 NEW DELHI: A signal intercepted in New Delhi at around 1730 Hours indicated that the United States would be sending ships to evacuate West Pakistani Military personnel from East Pakistan. craft on the ground. If true, then this signfies an open intervention by the United States Government in the Sub continental war. Top Officials in New Delhi have said that they have not expected the United states to show its "tilt" in Pakistani favour so brazenly.

If the reports are true then the likely ships that would be coming to the Bay of Bengal would be the US Seventh Fleet, now in the Gulf of Tonkin. The 7th Fleet has in its strenght the massive Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier, the USS Enterprise. Described as the world's largest warship, it was launched in 1961 and has a gross weight of 75,000 tons and carries an aircraft fleet of more than 70 modern fighting aircraft.

Compare this with our own INS Vikrant which is less than 20,000 tons in displacement and has less than 20 Obsolete aircraft which are no match for the F-4 Phantomjets that the USS Enterprise carries.

Also part of the US Fleet is the Amphibous Assault ship, USS Tripoli,

The USS Enterprise , the massive Aircraft Carrier of the US 7th fleet is believed to be heading to the Bay of Bengal.

The Guided Missile cruiser , USS King and the Guided Missile Destroyers, USS Decatur, Parsons and Tartar Sam. The USS Tripoli is a large Amphibous Assuault ship of more than 17000 Tons , and carries 24 Medium sized, 4 Heavy lift and 4 Observation Helicopters.

It is not known to what extent the US would take this limited intervention if it turns out to be true that the Seventh fleet is coming into the Bay of Bengal.

When asked if the Eastern Fleet of INS Vikrant would take on the 7th Fleet, the FOC in C , Vice Admiral Krishnan said "Bas, Hukum dena" (All the government needs to do is give the order), signfying the ever readiness of Indian Armed forces to take on any external enemy.

The IAF too is reported to be on alert on any possible intervention of the aircraft from the Enterprise in trying to evacuate or help the Pakistani Ground Troops.