Indian Navy News

The keel of the first of five Fleet Support Ships (FSS), being built at Hindustan Shipyard, was recently laid at a ceremony held at the shipyard.The HSL VC11200 project project, when delivered, will considerably enhance the Indian Navy’s operational capabilities also marks a major milestone in the shipyard’s ability to undertake complex projects.The Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) is providing classification services for all five vessels. These ships are being constructed in compliance with IRS Naval Combatant Rules…

The 2024 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to two sets of nominees: the Captain and crew of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, for containing a fire after the ship was struck by an uncrewed aerial device; and the Captain and crew of the tugboat Pemex Maya, for their rescue of six shipwrecked persons from four different vessels, during a hurricane.They received the medals and certificates during the annual IMO Awards Ceremony, held in London on 2 December 2024.

Kongsberg Maritime signed a contract with Hindustan Shipbuilding Limited to supply its electric replenishment-at-sea equipment for its Fleet Support Ships program, a new class of five large replenishment vessels designed to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy.“To have secured the contract to supply our electric Replenishment-at-Sea systems to the Indian Navy’s Fleet Support Ships program is significant for Kongsberg Maritime," said Lisa Edvardsen Haugan, President, Kongsberg Maritime.

India approved on Wednesday plans to construct two of a new class of nuclear-powered attack submarines, two defence officials said, in a project estimated to cost about 450 billion rupees ($5.4 billion).As India scrambles to modernise its military in the face of China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean region, it is focusing on boosting naval capabilities, and improving domestic weapons-making capacity.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet gave the go-ahead for the first two submarines of a new class of six the Indian Navy plans to make, the officials added, speaking on condition of anony

An injured Chinese mariner was medevaced from a bulk carrier 200 nautical miles off the coast of Mumbai, the Indian Navy said.Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Mumbai received a distress call on Tuesday night from the Panama-registered cargo vessel Zhong Shan Men requesting immediate evacuation for a critical injured mariner suffering heavy blood loss.Responding to the medical emergency, a Seaking helicopter was launched from Indian Navy Air Station INS Shikra at 5:50 a.m. on…

At least nine of the 16-member crew of a Comoros-flagged oil tanker that capsized off Oman on Monday have been rescued while one was found dead, officials said on Wednesday, two days after the incident was first reported.The Prestige Falcon, a 117-meter oil product tanker, was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden with a crew of 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans when it capsized off Oman's major industrial port of Duqm. The cause was not immediately known."Search and rescue operations have successfully found 10 crew members of the oil tanker Prestige Falcon, 9 found alive.

The 2024 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea is to go to two sets of nominees: the captain and crew of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda for containing a fire after the ship was struck by an anti-ship missile; and the captain and crew of the tugboat Pemex Maya for their rescue of six shipwrecked people from four different vessels during a hurricane.Nominations were initially reviewed by an Assessment Panel and their recommendations were considered by a Panel of Judges, who ultimately selected the recipients of honors.

The Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) has collaborated with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited on the demonstration of an autonomous navigation system with dual navigation capabilities.The demonstration took place on the tug MT Andaman.The IRS team led by Mr. R. Srinivas, VP & HOD Electrical & Control System, conducted a thorough review of the autonomy concept, system documentation, software quality documentation and a detailed risk assessment in accordance with IRS Guidelines…

The role women play in ensuring maritime safety will be celebrated worldwide by the IMO on this year's International Day for Women in Maritime. Observed globally each year on May 18, International Day for Women in Maritime aims to promote the recruitment, retention and empowerment of women in the sector, as well as a barrier-free work environment.Ahead of the day, the IMO will host an international symposium on Friday, May 17 at IMO headquarters in London, under the theme ‘Safe…

The Indian Navy said it had freed a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel from nine armed pirates in the Arabian Sea on Friday, rescuing its crew unharmed.The fishing vessel, Al-Kambar 786, was southwest of the Yemeni island of Socotra on March 28 when it was reported to have been boarded by pirates, according to a statement from the navy late on Friday.The ship was intercepted by the INS Sumedha and INS Trishul, leading to "over 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures" forcing the pirates to surrender…

The Indian navy handed over 35 Somali pirates to the police in Mumbai on Saturday, after 100 days of anti-piracy operations east of the Red Sea, where piracy has resurfaced for the first time in nearly a decade.India, the largest national force in the Gulf of Aden and northern Arabian Sea region, captured the pirates from the cargo ship Ruen last week, three months after it was hijacked off the Somali coast.Taking advantage of Western forces' focus on protecting shipping from attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militants…

As a speed boat carrying more than a dozen Somali pirates bore down on their position in the western Indian Ocean, the crew of a Bangladeshi-owned bulk carrier sent out a distress signal and called an emergency hotline.No one reached them in time. The pirates clambered aboard the Abdullah, firing warning shots and taking the captain and second officer hostage, Chief Officer Atiq Ullah Khan said in an audio message to the ship's owners."By the grace of Allah no one has been harmed so far," Khan said in the message, recorded before the pirates took the crew's phones.

India will bring in and prosecute 35 Somali pirates its navy captured on a hijacked ship off Somalia, a navy official said, in a departure from its recent practice of rescuing vessels and crew but leaving the disarmed pirates at sea.The captured pirates are due to arrive in India on Saturday and will be handed over to the law enforcement agencies, the official said. He declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to the media.The exact charges against the pirates were not immediately clear…

One of the largest of the international shipping associations BIMCO has reported increased threats associated with maritime shipping amid Red Sea risks related to Houthi strikes and rise of piracy activities offshore Somalia.Since November 2023, the threat to shipping has increased as the Houthis started attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Simultaneously, piracy activity off the East coast of Somalia has risen and since December, two bulk carriers and several fishing ships have been hijacked.

Somali police and international navies were preparing on Monday to attack a commercial ship that was hijacked by pirates last week, the Puntland region's police force said, two days after Indian commandos rescued another cargo vessel held by pirates.The MV Abdullah was hijacked off the coast of Somalia last week, the latest of more than 20 attacks since November by Somali pirates who had laid dormant for nearly a decade.On Saturday, the Indian navy rescued another cargo vessel, the Maltese-flagged MV Ruen, which had been seized in December, freeing its 17 crew members and arresting 35 pirates.

Indian naval forces including special commandos seized a cargo vessel that had been hijacked by Somali pirates, rescuing 17 crew members, a spokesperson for the navy said on Saturday.The navy said in a post on social media platform X that all 35 pirates aboard the ship, the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel Ruen, had surrendered, and the ship had been checked for the presence of illegal arms, ammunition and contraband.The Ruen had been hijacked last year and the navy said it had…

India's navy evacuated all 20 crew from a stricken vessel in the Red Sea on Thursday, after a Houthi attack killed three seafarers in the first civilian fatalities from the Yemeni group's campaign against the key shipping route.The Iran-aligned militants fired a missile at the Barbados-flagged, Greek-operated True Confidence on Wednesday about 50 nautical miles off the southern Yemeni port of Aden, setting it ablaze.In a statement, the owners and manager said all 20 crew and three…

India has deployed at least a dozen warships east of the Red Sea to provide security against pirates and has investigated more than 250 vessels as Western powers focus on attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, Indian officials said.India has not joined the U.S.-led task force for the Red Sea and does not have any warships there. But it currently has two frontline warships in the Gulf of Aden and at least 10 warships in the northern and western Arabian Sea, along with surveillance aircraft…

The Indian Navy will deploy guided missile destroyer ships in the Arabian Sea as a deterrent after an Israel-affiliated merchant vessel was struck off the Indian coast over the weekend.The navy was investigating the nature of the attack on the vessel, MV Chem Pluto, which docked in Mumbai on Monday, and initial reports pointed to a drone attack, a navy statement said."Further forensic and technical analysis will be required to establish the vector of attack, including type and amount of explosive used…

The Indian Navy on Friday rescued the crew of a merchant vessel after its attempted hijack in the Arabian Sea and said it had not found any pirates on board.An Indian Navy warship intercepted the Liberian-flagged MV Lila Norfolk bulk carrier less than a day after it had received a report that the vessel had been hijacked about 460 nautical miles off Somalia.About five to six armed people boarded the vessel on Thursday, according to a report received by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency…

India's defense ministry is providing protective escorts to Indian containerships in the high seas around the Red Sea as the security situation there continues to simmer, a government source said on Friday.Containers could face delays of 14 days in their turnaround time due to taking a longer sea route around Africa which is also causing higher transport and insurance costs, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added."The cost of freight & insurance has risen due to ships being compelled to avoid the region & take a longer route.

The Indian Navy said on Thursday it had rescued the crew of a U.S.-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden after an attack by Yemen's Houthi movement as tensions in the region's sea lanes disrupted global trade.Following the attack on the U.S. Genco Picardy late on Wednesday, the U.S. military said its forces had conducted strikes on 14 Houthi missiles that "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region".Attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi militia on…

Commodities trader Trafigura said on Saturday it was assessing the security risks of further Red Sea voyages after firefighters put out a blaze on a tanker attacked by Yemen's Houthi group a day earlier.The U.S. military said a U.S. Navy ship and other vessels provided assistance after the Marlin Luanda was hit by a Houthi anti-ship missile."No further vessels operating on behalf of Trafigura are currently transiting the Gulf of Aden and we continue to assess carefully the risks involved in any voyage…