Those three USMC battalions, with naval air support, could have done some serious damage to the Indian miitary.
But in the end, though, it would have ended like Vietnam...
Chinese intervention (which was expected) on behalf of Pakistan would have crippled India.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/02/stories/2007070258901600.htm
You do know that the Soviets had a submarine task force trailing the Enterprise during the time the Carrier task force was in the Bay of Bengal right? An attack by the US would have resulted in apocalypse as the Soviets would have gotten involved. Why do you think China never got involved, though its ally was being split into two?
Nixon was just an egomaniac who couldn’t take the fact that Gandhi didnt give two hoots about what he thought of the status-quo/balance of power etc etc between India & Pakistan.
3 battalions would have would have gone home in caskets. Imagine Vietnam..... multiplied by 10. A 700,000 strong Pak army lost withing 18 days. 3 USMC battalions would have done better? Kissinger (and Nixon) knew the odds and were wise enough not to make any disastrous move.