IAF Pilot Honoured For 10-Hour Mission To Rescue Hijacked Ship From Somali Pirates

Wing Commander Akshay Saxena of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for his exemplary bravery in a high-risk anti-piracy operation and rescuing the Bulgarian-operated bulker Ruen from Somali pirates.

On December 14, 2023, Somali Pirates hijacked the Ruen at a location about 380 nautical miles east of Socotra Island, in the Arabian Sea. They took 17 crew members hostage and sailed the vessel towards the Somali coast, where they began negotiations with the shipowner.

However, instead of anchoring off Somalia, the pirates decided to set sail again, likely intending to use the Ruen as a “mother ship” for launching attacks on other vessels in the Indian Ocean.

On March 15, 2024, an Indian Navy long-range maritime patrol intercepted the Ruen about 260 nautical miles east of Somalia.

The Indian Warships INS Kolkata and INS Subhadra were positioned alongside the hijacked vessel. In response, the pirates opened fire on the warships and shot down one of INS Kolkata’s surveillance drones.

The Indian military then quickly deployed a team of 18 marine commandos (Marcos) and an IAF C-17 transport aircraft for a precision airdrop mission. Wing Commander Akshay Saxena, as the pilot of the C-17, led the operation that involved the insertion of the commandos into the sea near the Ruen.

This risky operation required Saxena to navigate through a third country’s airspace for nearly four hours without authorisation and in complete secrecy.

Saxena flew the C-17 at a low level, turning off all the aircraft’s communication systems to avoid detection. As they approached the drop zone, the location was changed, requiring the crew to adapt quickly.

Despite the change, Saxena executed the airdrop smoothly, dropping the 18 commandos and their inflatable boats into the water near the Ruen.

The commandos boarded the vessel, confronted 35 pirates aboard, and forced them to stand down and surrender.

The Indian Ministry of Defense commended Saxena for his “flawless execution of an extremely gruelling mission” and for displaying “exceptional courage, dynamic leadership, outstanding professionalism, and steadfast determination.” He maintained situational awareness during the operation, which lasted for over 10 hours.

The Indian Navy has also recommended Lieutenant Commander Sourabh Malik for a gallantry award. Malik and his Commando squad carried out an opposed boarding of the fishing vessel Omari on February 2, 2024.

Despite the hijackers’ attempts to stop the boarding with “heavy and constant” small arms fire, they captured seven armed pirates and freed 19 fishermen.

The rescue of Ruen also marks the first-ever insertion of marine commandos via airdrop on the high seas, proving India’s readiness to handle piracy threats in distant waters.

Reference: eurasiantimes

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