Inside Indian Navy's Daring Operation to Remove Missile Warhead From UAE-Kochi Oil Tanker

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one of the most daring operations, the Indian Navy successfully recovered and safely disposed of an unexploded missile warhead from the crude oil tanker MT Olympic Life. As per the Navy, the complex mission was carried out on May 26. The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, which did not have any Indian nationals onboard, was on passage from the UAE's Fujairah to Kochi and reported an explosion in its hull while off the coast of Oman on May 26. At the time of the incident, the vessel was reportedly sailing around 60 nautical miles east of Oman. However, it is not clear who fired the missiles.

No casualties were reported in the attack. The vessel reported the presence of unexploded ordnance as it continued its transit towards Kochi."On receipt of information through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), the Indian Navy initiated a coordinated response. Kochi based Southern Naval Command deployed a specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team for a detailed assessment," the Indian Navy said in a press release.

"The team confirmed that a projectile had penetrated the vessel's hull, traversed multiple structural compartments and was lodged inside a fuel tank," it added.How The Navy Team Recovered and Disposed Of The Warhead?The warhead was found inside a fuel storage compartment. The Navy's team adopted a deliberate and phased approach to ensure the safety of the ship, its crew, and surrounding port infrastructure."After completion of prescribed safety procedures, the EOD team employed advanced diagnostic methods to identify and isolate the detonation mechanism before carrying out the safe extraction of the warhead along with the associated debris," it stated.

The recovered ordnance was then transported to a secure facility for safe stowage and detailed examination."This carefully conducted highly risky operation, highlights the Indian Navy's proficiency in explosive ordnance disposal, technical expertise and effective inter-agency coordination in addressing complex maritime contingenciesm" the Navy said.The highly complex operation reaffirms the Indian Navy's role as a responsible maritime force dedicated to global maritime safety and a trusted and preferred security partner in the region.