Navy, Coast Guard intensify search & boarding operations after armed drone attack on MV Chem Pluto

Four guided missile destroyers — INS Mormugao, INS Kochi, and INS Kolkata and INS Chennai — deployed as deterrence and for keeping track of suspected vessels in Arabian Sea.

File Photo of Indian Navy officers standing on the deck of INS Mormugao, a stealth guided-missile destroyer ship of Project 15B, during its commissioning ceremony, in Mumbai, India, December 18, 2022 | Reuters

New Delhi: The Indian Navy, along with the Indian Coast Guard, have intensified their operations in the Arabian Sea and have boarded several dhows and investigated a number of vessels of interest, including merchant ships bearing foreign flags, ThePrint has learnt. The action follows the loitering munition attack on India-bound merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto over the weekend.

Sources in the Indian defence and security establishment told ThePrint that the Navy has deployed one more guided missile destroyer, after the three deployed Monday (taking the total to four) — INS Mormugao, INS Kochi, and INS Kolkata and INS Chennai — as deterrence and for keeping a track of all suspected vessels in the region.

Along with this, the Navy has intensified operations of its fleet of P8i maritime surveillance aircraft and that of the Sea Guardian drones.

The sources said that given the availability of ships for operations, the Navy and the Coast Guard are closely coordinating.

Explaining the steps taken, sources said the Navy has boarded several dhows operating in international waters to check whether they were carrying any kind of drone operating systems which could target India-bound merchant vessels.

Boarding means that the Navy personnel had physically entered the dhows and scanned them.

Sources said that a number of merchant vessels bearing flags of different countries, but headed elsewhere have also been investigated.

Asked what they mean by ‘investigated’, the sources said that the details of the vessel and what it is being carried, along with other details were verified through communication with the captains of the vessels and through aerial surveillance.

Sources said that they have not come across any kind of suspect merchant vessel to be boarded, but the Navy is keeping a close watch.

The attack on MV Chem Pluto

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said Tuesday that strict action would be taken against the assaulters of MV Chem Pluto, and indicated that the attacks were intentional and not a mistake.

A team from the Indian Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal has inspected MV Chem Pluto after it docked in Mumbai following the attack. Analysis of the attacked surface and the debris found on the ship pointed towards the use of a drone with explosives on board — loitering munition.

However, further forensic and technical analysis is being done to establish the vector of the attack, including the type and amount of explosives used.

Yemen-based Houthi rebels were suspected to be the perpetrators, but the Pentagon has blamed it on Iran — a charge they have denied.

Sources did not rule out the possibility of Iranian loitering munition being used for the attack.

(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)