Indian Navy warship INS Visakhapatnam assists merchant vessel under missile attack

In a dramatic display of operational prowess, the Indian Navy's INS Visakhapatnam, a guided missile destroyer deployed in the Gulf of Aden, rushed to assist the MV Marlin Luanda following a distress call from the vessel on the night of January 26, 2024. The vessel had come under a missile attack by Houthi rebels based in Yemen, according to US Central Command.

The MV Marlin Luanda currently has a crew of 22 Indians and a Bangladeshi national. Responding to the distress call, INS Visakhapatnam swiftly deployed its specialised Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence (NBCD) team along with firefighting equipment to augment the onboard firefighting efforts on the distressed vessel.

An Indian Navy statement said that it "remains steadfast and committed towards safeguarding MVs and ensuring safety of life at sea". The recent escalation of piracy and drone attacks has prompted India to deploy more than 10 of its warships in strategic locations, including the northern and central Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The fire was brought under control by Indian Navy personnel who battled the flames for six hours. The navy personnel were assisted by the crew of MV Marlin Luanda.

Indian Navy is currently monitoring the situation and taking preventive measures so that the fire does not re-ignite.

The captain of Luanda thanked Indian Navy saying, "We had lost hope.Hats off to Indian Navy".

Warships of the US and France who were in the areahadalso receivedMV Marlin Luanda's distress call.

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This marks the third incident this month where the Indian Navy has provided assistance to vessels in that part of the Indian Ocean region. Earlier incidents included prevention of the hijacking of MV Lila Norfolk by INS Chennai and the support provided to MV Genco Picardy, which came under a drone attack and was assisted by INS Visakhapatnam.

Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, in an exclusive interview recently to WION, highlighted the fragility of the maritime security situation in the Red Sea and expressed concern over escalating attacks in the Arabian Sea, particularly emphasising the threats posed by piracy and Houthi aggression.

"We have more than ten ships deployed, two of which are primarily dedicated to anti-piracy tasks, while the remainder is engaged in providing anti-drone support," Admiral Kumar said, outlining India's proactive measures to address the evolving maritime security challenges.