The Indian Navy has successfully recovered an unexploded missile warhead from a foreign crude oil tanker that arrived off the Kerala coast, completing a high-risk explosive ordnance disposal operation that lasted several days.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the operation involved the Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker MT Olympic Life, which reported an explosion in its hull while sailing off the coast of Oman on 26 May.
The vessel was travelling from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates to Kochi and subsequently reported the presence of unexploded ordnance onboard.
Following information received through the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), the Indian Navy launched a coordinated response.
Southern Naval Command, based in Kochi, deployed a specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team to assess the situation.
The team found that a projectile had penetrated the ship’s hull, passed through multiple structural compartments and become lodged inside a fuel tank.
Given the risks associated with an unexploded missile warhead inside a fuel storage compartment, naval specialists adopted a phased approach to secure the vessel and prevent any danger to the crew, the ship and nearby port infrastructure.
After carrying out prescribed safety procedures, the EOD team used advanced diagnostic techniques to identify and isolate the warhead’s detonation mechanism before safely extracting the ordnance and associated debris.
The recovered warhead has since been moved to a secure facility for storage and detailed examination.
“This meticulously planned and executed high-risk operation, conducted over an extended duration, underscores the Indian Navy’s proficiency in explosive ordnance disposal, technical expertise and effective inter-agency coordination in addressing complex maritime contingencies,” the ministry said.
The ministry said the operation demonstrated the Indian Navy’s ability to respond to emergencies at sea irrespective of the nationality of the vessel or its crew, while reinforcing its role in ensuring maritime safety across the Indian Ocean Region.
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