As destroyer INS Kolkata intercepted merchant vessel-turned pirate vessel Ruen in the morning of March 15 and confirmed the presence of armed pirates through a ship-launched drone, the drone was shot down, the Navy said on Sunday, sharing details on the over 40-hour operation that resulted in the surrender of 35 pirates and freeing of 17 crew of the hijacked vessel. An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 transport aircraft executed a precision airborne drop of two Combat Rubberised Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats in a 10 hour round trip mission to an area 2600 km away from the Indian coast.
“In a reckless hostile act, the pirates shot down the drone and fired at the Indian Naval warship. In a calibrated response in accordance with international laws, Kolkata disabled the ship’s steering system and navigational aids, forcing the pirate ship to stop,” the Navy spokesperson said. Videos of the operation released by the Navy show the pirates putting forward the crew members as human shield as warning shots were fired from the warship.
INS Kolkata undertook “precisely measured actions” while maintaining her position close to the pirate ship and also engaged in forceful negotiations, which resulted in the “pirates surrendering and releasing the pirate ship MV Ruen and its original crew present onboard,” the spokesperson stated.
Hijacked in Dec. 2023
The Malta-flagged merchant vessel Ruen was hijacked in December 2023 and has been under the control of the Somalian pirates till now. The seaworthiness of MV Ruen will be assessed on Sunday and the vessel, which is carrying approximately 37,800 tonnes of cargo worth over $1 million would be brought safely to India, the Navy said.
The Indian Navy as part of the maritime security operations has been carrying out extensive surveillance in the region, including monitoring of traffic in areas of interest. “Based on the analysis of the surveillance information, the Indian Navy was able to track the movement of the pirate ship Ruen and directed INS Kolkata to intercept the ship approximately 260 nm east of Somalia.”
The Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), which acts as the regional centre for maritime domain centre, was closely monitoring the situation and was also involved in coordination between various stakeholders, officials said.
The anti-piracy operation 1400 nm (2,600 km) from mainland India was augmented by the deployment of INS Subhadra on Saturday morning, and also by air-dropping of the Marine Commandos (MARCOS) by C-17 aircraft in the afternoon, the Navy said. Additionally, the pirate vessel was kept under surveillance by MQ-9A high altitude long endurance remotely piloted aircraft and P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
The operation culminated as all 35 Somali pirates surrendered in the second half of Saturday and all 17 original crew members of MV Ruen were safely evacuated from the pirate vessel.
Commenting on its role, the IAF said on social media ‘X’, “In a remarkable display of jointness and integration, an IAF C-17 aircraft executed a precision airborne drop of two CRRC boats, along with Indian Navy MARCOS in Arabian Sea in support of ongoing anti-piracy Op Sankalp flying for almost 10 hrs to an area 2600 kms off the Indian Coast...”
Congratulating the Navy and all those involved for their “determined and decisive actions,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on social media, “The Indian Navy continues to ensure safety and security of the mariners in the Indian Ocean region.”
