New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has conferred a Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) upon Wing Commander Akshay Saxena, who provided air support to the Navy during its anti-piracy operations in the Arabian Sea last year.
It was on 16 March last year that the officer executed a mission in support of Operation Sankalp, launched by the Indian Navy to carry out anti-piracy operations in the Arabian Sea. This was at a time when Houthi rebels were increasingly targeting merchant vessels in the Indian Ocean.
Wing Commander Saxena airdropped two Combat Rubberised Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats, along with a team of 18 marine commandos (MARCOs) carrying combat loads, to capture a pirate-controlled ship launching attacks on merchant vessels in the Arabian Sea. The captured ship also opened fire on INS Kolkata, shooting down a naval spotter drone.
The area where all the action took place was near the Somalian coast—1,450 nautical miles off Mumbai—and 540 nautical miles outside the Indian Flight Information Region (Mumbai).
Wing Commander Saxena swung into action, and owing to the time-critical and secret nature of the mission, he finalised a suitable crew and ensured aircraft readiness for a quick launch, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
The criticality of the mission was such that it involved a real threat of small arms carried by the pirates, as well as extended mission timelines, requiring the aircraft to fly into another country’s airspace undeclared and undetected for close to four hours.
As the captain of the C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, Wing Commander Saxena decided to switch off all emitters, fly at a low level over high seas in foreign territory, and conduct the drop at dusk to avoid detection.
The drop location changed only 50 nautical miles before the actual drop. Despite this, he successfully guided his crew to execute a precision airdrop, leading to the capture of the pirates and rescue of MV Ruen with its 17-member crew. There were 35 pirates onboard the hijacked ship.
“He displayed effective inter-service coordination with the Indian Navy, while maintaining heightened situational awareness both on the ground and in the air,” the Ministry of Defence said in the statement.
Wing Commander Saxena and his team took all possible measures to maintain secrecy throughout the 10-hour-long mission. The Ministry of Defence called the operation a “flawless execution of an extremely gruelling mission”. The statement added that the officer displayed “exceptional courage, dynamic leadership, outstanding professionalism, and steadfast determination”.
The Indian Navy’s operation for the surrender of MV Ruen lasted for over 40 hours. INS Kolkata intercepted the pirate ship in the Arabian Sea based on inputs received by the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) from United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The ship was operating as a mother ship to conduct piracy attacks and hijack merchantmen. INS Kolkata shadowed the pirate vessel while aerial surveillance was conducted using the Indian Navy’s P8I Poseidon aircraft, Sea Guardian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), ship’s integral helicopters, and spotter drones.
Wing Commander Saxena was commissioned as a pilot in the Flying Branch of the IAF on 17 June 2006, and has been serving with a C-17 Squadron since 1 February 2021.
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Nao Sena Medal
The Indian Navy has also recommended one of its officers for the Nao Sena Medal.
During Op Sankalp, onboard INS Sharda on 2 February 2024, Lieutenant Commander Sourabh Malik and his team carried out an opposed boarding on a hijacked Iranian vessel—FV Omari.
The operation led to the capture of seven armed pirates, along with the rescue of 19 fishermen, and the recovery of arms and ammunition.
For this anti-piracy mission involving a hostage situation, the officer led a quickly assembled team. Though severe resource constraints, including the lack of a second rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) for cover fire, could have hindered the operation, the officer ensured its success.
“The officer compensated for these limitations through tactical innovativeness, achieving surprise, which caught the pirates off-guard and led to their surrender,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Despite heavy and constant fire from the armed pirates, he was the first person to board the vessel.
The officer also led the search of the vessel for improvised explosive devices (IEDs), contraband, arms, and ammunition. The success of the mission can be largely attributed to the professionalism, courage, and leadership of the Prahar Commander, the Ministry of Defence said.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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The Navy personnel who are responsible for the recent tragedy at Gateway of India must held accountable. Far too often, we come across mishaps and accidents involving the Indian Navy. All thanks to recklessness and callous attitude of the Navy officers. Sometimes they leave the hatch open of a submarine, at other times they ram a speedboat into a steamer killing dozens. The list of such incidents is endless. And the worst part is, the Navy just does not learn from its mistakes. It keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over again.
What about the Navy officers who left the submarine latch open resulting in a disaster? Also, the officers who, while drunk and having fun with a speedboat, rammed into a steamer near gateway of India?
The Indian Navy officers are indeed a class apart.
The Indian Army and Air Force lose personnel due to war, anti-terror operations or glitches in the machinery but in the Navy they have perfected the art of dying due to negligence and buffoonery.