This strike group was to be based around the three Vidyut-class missile boats already deployed off the coast of Okha. A strike group under Western Naval Command was formed for this mission. The Indian Naval Headquarters (NHQ) in Delhi, along with the Western Naval Command, planned to attack the Port of Karachi.
On 3 December, after Pakistan attacked Indian airfields along the border, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 officially began. Later this deployment proved to be useful for gaining experience in the region's waters. As the Pakistani fleet would also be operating in the same waters, the Indian Navy set a demarcation line which ships in their fleet would not cross. Towards the end of 1971, there were rising tensions between India and Pakistan, and after Pakistan declared a national emergency on 23 November, the Indian Navy deployed three Vidyut-class missile boats in the vicinity of Okha, near Karachi, to carry out patrols.
The port's airspace was secured by the strike aircraft based at airfields in the area. The security of Karachi Harbour was predominant to the Pakistani High Command and it was heavily defended against any air or naval strikes. Since Karachi was also the hub of Pakistan's maritime trade, a blockade would be disastrous for Pakistan's economy. In 1971, the Port of Karachi housed the headquarters of the Pakistan Navy and almost its entire fleet was based in Karachi Harbour.
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