In response to the Nixon administration's decision to move its task force carrier to woo Pakistan and intimidate India, Soviet Union ordered its Meditarrian Fleet to the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.
“Reports are now being circulated in Delhi by the government's Press Information Bureau that the US Seventh Fleet is moving toward the Bay of Bengal... The Soviets show no sign of slackening their support for India. There are unconfirmed reports that a Soviet military team will soon be visiting New Delhi,” said a memorandum sent to US President Richard Nixon by his Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger.
Nixon had ordered the movement of the fleet, being advised by Kissinger, under the guise of evacuating around 200 of its citizens, stuck in East Pakistan, while the Soviets were giving all-out support to India with the UN discussing a cease-fire.
Kissinger said that the Soviet Mediterranean Fleet would take some time for them to sail around the tip of Africa.
“Soviet ships equipped with surface-to-surface missiles may be en route to augment the Indian Ocean Squadron. A guided-missile light cruiser, a diesel-powered cruise-missile submarine, and a naval oiler left the Sea of Japan via Tsushima Strait yesterday (December 10) and may be bound for the Indian Ocean. The cruiser and submarine together carry a total of 20 SS-N-s cruise missiles,” read the memorandum.
Sixteen Soviet naval units were in the Indian Ocean area, including three space support ships, at the moment.
“Communications intelligence indicates that most of the ships are near Ceylon and Socotra, although one space-related unit may be monitoring British naval units in the Arabian Sea. However, of the sixteen ships, less than half are combatants,” Kissinger said.
He added that the Soviets showed no sign of slackening their support for India.
“There are unconfirmed reports that a Soviet military team will soon be visiting New Delhi. Potentially more significant is a current trip to Moscow by DP Dhar, the negotiator of the friendship treaty and former Indian Ambassador to Moscow who is known to be very close to Mrs [Indira] Gandhi.
“Dhar could be going to sound out the Soviets on India's intentions toward West Pakistan,” read the memorandum.
