The Indian Air Force’s C-17 tactical transport aircraft executed a precise airdrop, deploying two combat boats and marine commandos into the Arabian Sea to support the Navy in seizing a hijacked cargo vessel from Somali pirates. This operation, described by the IAF as a remarkable display of jointness and integration, involved the deployment of Combat Rubberised Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats and MARCOS commandos. Subsequently, the Navy captured 35 pirates and liberated 17 hostages from the former Maltese-flagged merchant vessel in a well-calibrated operation conducted approximately 2,600 km from the Indian coast.
Over the course of nearly 40 hours, the Navy conducted an operation utilising its stealth-guided missile destroyer INS Kolkata, patrol vessel INS Subhadra, and long-endurance Sea Guardian drones. Additionally, elite marine commandos – MARCOS -were airdropped using the IAF’s C-17 aircraft. The merchant vessel Ruen was seized by the Somali pirates in December off the coast of Somalia.
“In an impressive demonstration of Jointness and Integration, an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 aircraft executed a precise Airborne Drop, delivering two Combat Rubberised Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats and Indian Navy MARCOS personnel into the Arabian Sea. This joint operation was conducted in support of the ongoing anti-piracy Op Sankalp. After nearly 10 hours of flight covering a distance of 2600 kilometres off the Indian Coast, the mission aimed to rescue the crew of the bulk carrier vessel MV Ruen, which Somali pirates near the Yemeni island of Socotra had hijacked. Collaborating seamlessly with the Indian Navy, the mission was a resounding success, resulting in the safe recovery of all 17 crew members,” the IFA said in a Twitter post.
The Indian Navy, in a statement, stated the seaworthiness of MV Ruen is being assessed, and the vessel, carrying approximately 37,800 tonnes of cargo worth around USD 1 million, will be brought safely to India. The statement added, “The culmination of the ongoing anti-piracy operation involving pirate ship Ruen in the Southern Indian Ocean Region highlights the Indian Navy’s commitment to reinforcing peace and stability and thwarting the resurgence of piracy in the region.”Top of Form
Amid escalating attacks on cargo vessels in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi militants and Somali pirates, the Indian Navy has dispatched more than a dozen warships to monitor strategic waterways in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden. The surge in Houthi attacks has sparked global apprehension, contributing to a rise in piracy incidents in the Indian Ocean.
Ravi Shankar
