Indian Navy: Strong possibility of drone attack on MV Chem Pluto in Arabian Sea

The Indian Navys preliminary analysis of the recent attack on merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto in the Arabian Sea has indicated a strong possibility of a drone attack the Indian Navy said The Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar on Tuesday was briefed on the initial analysis undertaken by the Indian Navys Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and the followup actions being progressed according to the Indian Navys statementThe probe based on the crew inputs and onscene examination also ascertained that the explosive charge on the drone detonated completely causing extensive damage above the waterline the statement further read Remnants of projectiles have been collected by the Indian Navy for further forensic analysis in coordination with other agencies it addedNotably MV Chem Pluto with 20 Indian and one Vietnamese crew member caught fire on Saturday after it was attacked by a suspected drone It was later secured by the Indian Coast Guard ICG the ICG said in an official statement The merchant vessel reportedly commenced its voyage from the UAE on December 19 and was bound for New Mangalore port with an arrival date of December 25According to the official statement on December 23 the Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai received information regarding a fire onboard MV Chem Pluto reportedly attacked by a suspected drone strike or aerial platform The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Coordination Centre MRCC which established realtime communication with the vessels agent ascertained no loss of life and assured all assistanceIt was also learned that the vessel fire had been doused by the crew To augment the vessels safety MRCC Mumbai has activated the International Safety Net ISN and immediately diverted other merchant vessels in the vicinity of Chem Pluto for assistance The vessel reached Mumbai and anchored safely at Outer Anchorage off Mumbai at 1530 hrs on MondayOn her arrival the Indian Navys Explosive Ordnance Disposal team inspected the vessel to make a preliminary assessment of the type and nature of the attack As per the Indian Navy statement a joint investigation by various agencies has commenced on completion of the analysis by the Navys Explosive Ordnance Team and MV Chem Pluto has been cleared for further operation by her companyincharge in MumbaiThe ship is scheduled to undergo mandatory checks by the various inspecting authorities before undertaking Ship to Ship STS transfer of cargo In response to the recent maritime incidents in the Arabian Sea the Indian Navy has commenced focused maritime security operations in the region The navy has significantly increased the presence of warships and enhanced air surveillance to safeguard the waters and ensure the safety of maritime activities the Indian Navy said in a statementThe presence of Indian Navy warships and air surveillance in the region has been enhanced stated the Indian Navy The Navy is actively collaborating with national maritime agencies to coordinate efforts and implement effective security measures The primary objective of these operations is to secure the Arabian Sea and protect merchant marine activities from potential threats The increased naval presence is expected to act as a deterrent and contribute to the overall safety and stability of the maritime environmentThe Indian Navy also deployed multiple Guided Missile Destroyers including INS Mormugao INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in various areas of the Arabian Sea to maintain a deterrent presence the Indian Navy said in an official press release on Monday Moreover longrange maritime reconnaissance P8I aircraft are also being regularly tasked with maintaining domain awareness The release stated that the Western Naval Commands Maritime Operations Centre is actively monitoring the situation in close coordination with the Coast Guard and all concerned agenciesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever