Conflict catalog

1971 Indo-Pakistani War: Weapons and Equipment

The 1971 India-Pakistan war culminated in Pakistan's defeat in the east and a ceasefire after two weeks of fighting.

The 1971 Indo-Pakistani War was the war between India and Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh after fighting on land, in the air, and at sea. It remains one of the clearest late-Cold-War examples of South Asian conventional combat.

This catalog tracks weapon systems directly documented in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.

Entries should be limited to systems with direct conflict-use sourcing.

7 weapon systems

Conflict Actors

India / Pakistan

India

4 weapon systems in this catalog

Pakistan

3 weapon systems in this catalog
  • Pakistan

Context

Status
Published catalog
Domains
air, land, maritime

Weapons

1971 Indo-Pakistani War Weapon Systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

4/4
Shenyang J-5/J-6, Jet fighter family, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsShenyang J-5/J-6Jet fighter familySide: PakistanRole: Fighter and ground-attack aircraftBuilt: Shenyang Aircraft Corporation / Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group / Nanchang Aircraft Company / ChinaShenyang J-5/J-6 covers two Chinese-built fighter lines derived from Soviet designs: the J-5/F-5 from the MiG-17 and the J-6/F-6 from the MiG-19. The J-5 gave China a mass-produced jet fighter, while the J-6 became a supersonic export family used for air defense, training, reconnaissance, and tactical attack.
Dassault Mirage III/5, Single-engine delta-wing multirole fighter family, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsDassault Mirage III/5Single-engine delta-wing multirole fighter familySide: PakistanRole: Strike fighterBuilt: Dassault Aviation / FranceThe Dassault Mirage III/5 is a French single-engine, delta-wing fighter family that evolved from the Mirage III interceptor into the Mirage 5 strike derivative. Exported widely and adapted by multiple air arms, it saw combat from the 1967 Six-Day War and 1969 War of Attrition through the Falklands, Paquisha, 1966 South African Border War, and Pakistan's 2019 air crisis.
MiG-21, Supersonic fighter and interceptor aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMiG-21Supersonic fighter and interceptor aircraftSide: IndiaRole: UnknownBuilt: Mikoyan-Gurevich / Soviet state arsenals / Soviet UnionThe MiG-21 is a Soviet-designed supersonic fighter and interceptor that became one of the most widely built jet fighters of the Cold War. Its conflict record spans North Vietnamese interceptor use, Indian MiG-21FL combat in 1971, Arab and Iraqi air-defense service, Syrian and Libyan wartime fielding, and a conservative Azerbaijani fleet-context row for 2020 reporting where MiG-21 sorties are not directly documented.

Category

Munitions

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

2/2
K-13 missile, Short-range infrared homing air-to-air missile, MunitionsMunitionsK-13 missileShort-range infrared homing air-to-air missileSide: IndiaRole: Airfield-defense air-to-air missileBuilt: NPO Vympel / Soviet UnionThe K-13, known to NATO as the AA-2 Atoll, is a Soviet short-range air-to-air missile family reverse-engineered from the AIM-9 Sidewinder and mass-produced for MiG-21-era fighters. Its R-3S infrared version became a widely exported rear-aspect missile, while radar-homing and improved cooled-seeker variants extended the family into later Cold War service.
P-15 Termit, Soviet anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsP-15 TermitSoviet anti-ship cruise missileSide: IndiaRole: UnknownBuilt: Raduga Design Bureau / Progress plant, Arsenyev / Soviet UnionThe P-15 Termit, known to NATO as the SS-N-2 Styx, is a Soviet anti-ship cruise missile developed by MKB Raduga for missile boats, export corvettes, and coastal batteries. Its combat record spans Indian Styx strikes on Karachi in 1971, Egyptian and Syrian missile-boat launches during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and Iraqi Osa-boat use during the Iran-Iraq War.

Category

Tanks

Heavy armor built around direct fire, protection, and battlefield shock.

1/1
M4 Sherman, Second World War medium tank family, TanksTanksM4 ShermanSecond World War medium tank familySide: PakistanRole: Pakistani upgunned Sherman tanks used in defensive delaying positions.Built: Fisher Tank Arsenal; Detroit Tank Arsenal / United StatesThe M4 Sherman was the principal U.S. medium tank family of the Second World War, built around mass production, mechanical reliability, and a turreted gun tank layout adaptable to multiple engines, hulls, guns, and specialist conversions. Allied armies used Shermans in every major theater, while U.S. industrial plants turned the design into a high-volume armored-vehicle standard.