Missile lodged in fuel tank: Navy's daring op to recover warhead from UAE-Kochi oil tanker

Daring op on high seas: Navy recovers unexploded missile warhead from oil tanker bound for Kochi from UAE NEW DELHI: In one of the most daring operations on the high seas, the Indian Navy has safely disposed of an unexploded missile warhead recovered from the fuel storage compartment of a crude oil tanker, while Marshall Islands-flagged MT Olympic Life was on its way to Kochi from UAE’s Fujairah, the defence ministry said on Thursday.The Navy’s high-risk mission was carried out on May 26 when the master of the oil tanker reported an explosion on the port side aft (back of the ship) of the vessel near the waterline at 09.45 UTC while sailing around 60 nautical miles east of Oman, as per UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency’s data. It is still not known yet who fired the missile at the tanker.While reporting about the unexploded ordnance, the MT Olympic Life, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) that can carry roughly 2 million barrels of crude oil, continued its transit towards Kochi. Though no exact number of crew members is available, a VLCC like MT Olympic Life typically operates with a crew of 20 to 25 members. The ministry, however, clarified that no Indian national was there among the crew.On getting information through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), the Indian Navy initiated a coordinated response. The Kochi-based Southern Naval Command quickly deployed a specialist explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team for a detailed assessment. End of Article