A show of strength. One show in the waters of the Horn of Africa which pushed analysts to consider the Indian marines, the Marcoses, on a par with the best special units in the world, including British and US ones. The blitz in question, which CNN covered and lasted almost two days, ended with the rescue off the coast of Somalia of the 17 members of the crew of the MV Ruen ship, without causing any casualties, and with the arrest of 35 pirates .
The operation centered on the commercial vessel that Somali pirates managed to hijack in December last year, the first in their possession since 2017. Spanish, Japanese and Indian warships had tracked down the bulk carrier about three months ago Bulgarian vessel flying the flag of Malta while being taken into Somali territorial waters.
But when last week the Mv Ruen, under pirate control, left the coasts of the African country with the intention of attacking other ships on the high seas, the Indian Navy moved to intercept it. The destroyer INS Kolkata, which operates in the area to ensure maritime security, used a drone to confirm that the bulk carrier was operated by armed pirates, who fired on the unmanned aircraft, destroying it, and then on the warship itself. At that point the INS Kolkata returned fire, blocking the navigation of the Mv Ruen.
Meanwhile, a group of marines had been parachuted on board after a 10-hour flight from India. At that point the Indian show of strength proved too much for the pirates, forcing them to surrender. According to an Indian Navy note, a destroyer, a patrol ship, an Air Force C-17 were involved in the operation which flew 2,400 kilometers with the Marcoses, a naval drone, a reconnaissance drone and a P-8 surveillance jet on board.
“The success of the operation characterizes the Indian Navy as a world-class force in terms of training, command and control,” commented Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs expert John Bradford. “What makes this operation impressive is how the risk was minimized, using a coordinated force that includes the use of a warship, drones, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and marines,” he added .
Analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, also argued that the blitz highlighted the professionalism of the Indian Navy, confirming the high level of capability the Marcoses learned from their US and British counterparts. “The Marcoses' almost eight months of training are modeled on the British SAS. Despite a very intense selection process, only around 10-15% of those who enter the training are promoted,” he said.
The Indian Navy may soon be called upon to respond again in an area of high security risk. Analysts, in fact, fear that the precarious situation in the Red Sea, due to attacks by Houthi rebels based in Yemen, could involve international forces and provide an opportunity for Somali pirates in the nearby Horn of Africa, representing a new threat for the global economy.
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