The Indian Navy has successfully completed a complex high-risk operation to recover an unexploded missile warhead from a commercial oil tanker that had departed from Fujairah in the UAE, highlighting its maritime emergency response capabilities in the Indian Ocean region.
The Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker MT Olympic Life was sailing from Fujairah, UAE to Kochi when it reported an explosion in its hull off the coast of Oman on May 26. The vessel, which had no Indian nationals on board, later reported the presence of an unexploded ordnance while continuing its voyage towards Kochi.
According to the Indian Navy, information received through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region prompted an immediate response. The Southern Naval Command, based in Kochi, deployed a specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to assess the situation.
A detailed inspection confirmed that a projectile had penetrated the ship’s hull, passed through multiple structural compartments and become lodged inside a fuel tank. Given the significant risks posed by an unexploded missile warhead within a fuel storage area, naval specialists adopted a carefully phased approach to ensure the safety of the vessel, its crew and nearby port infrastructure.
After completing extensive safety procedures, the team used advanced diagnostic techniques to identify and isolate the warhead’s detonation mechanism before carrying out its safe extraction along with associated debris. The recovered ordnance has since been transferred to a secure facility for detailed examination and safe storage.
