Indian Navy's EOD team neutralizes live missile. (Photo: Indian Navy)
New Delhi: In a high-stakes maritime operation, the Indian Navy successfully neutralized a live missile warhead embedded inside the crude oil tanker MT Olympic Life, preventing what could have been a devastating disaster at sea. The tanker, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was making its way from Fujairah in the UAE to Kochi when its hull was struck by an explosion on May 26, off the coast of Oman.
Despite the damage, the vessel – carrying no Indian crew members – continued toward Kochi with unexploded ordnance lodged within its structure.
Acting on a tip-off channelled through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), the Navy promptly dispatched a specialized explosive drdnance disposal (EOD) team from the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.
Read also: US reportedly strikes oil tanker Settebello with 24 Indians on board
Upon reaching the vessel, the team found that the projectile had punched through the hull, travelled across multiple internal compartments, and finally come to rest inside a fuel storage tank, a situation with potentially catastrophic consequences.
Using advanced diagnostic equipment, the EOD personnel methodically disabled the warhead’s detonation system before carefully extracting it along with surrounding debris. The recovered ordnance was subsequently moved to a secure facility for detailed examination.
The Navy described the operation as a demonstration of its sophisticated disposal capabilities and its readiness to manage complex, high-risk situations in open waters.
Officials also emphasized that the response was initiated regardless of the ship’s nationality or crew composition, reflecting India’s broader role as a reliable maritime security partner across the Indian Ocean region.
The incident unfolded just days after US forces reportedly engaged Iranian vessels allegedly attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz and carried out strikes near a naval facility at Bandar Abbas, underscoring the heightened tensions that continue to simmer across regional waters.
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