The Indian Navy successfully recovered an unexploded missile warhead from the Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker, MT Olympic Life, off the Kochi coast. The operation was conducted by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team of the Southern Naval Command (SNC).
Operational Procedure for Maritime EOD
The extraction of unexploded ordnance (UXO) from a crude oil tanker involves a critical sequence to prevent secondary explosions:
- Stabilization: Assessment of structural damage, weapon mechanism, and hazardous gas leaks.
- Render Safe Procedures (RSP): Neutralizing the firing circuit or fusing mechanism.
- Physical Extraction: Use of non-magnetic, non-sparking tools (e.g., beryllium-copper) to prevent ignition of volatile cargo gases.
- Controlled Disposal: Transporting the UXO to a designated open-sea zone for controlled detonation.
Maritime Security Challenges
Commercial shipping in the Western Indian Ocean faces increasing asymmetric threats near maritime choke points like Bab-el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, including:
- Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCMs): High-speed sea-skimming threats.
- OWA Drones: Loitering munitions targeting ship superstructures.
- WBIEDs: Explosive-laden fast boats.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Southern Naval Command: The youngest of the three Indian Navy operational commands, responsible for the Lakshadweep Sea and South-Western Arabian Sea.
- IFC-IOR: The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region, based in Gurugram, tracks maritime anomalies and enhances Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) globally.
- Operation Sankalp: Launched in 2019 to safeguard Indian-flagged merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Aden.
- UNCLOS Mandate: Article 100 obligates states to cooperate in suppressing threats and maintaining order on the high seas.