Indian Navy takes on the Somali pirates

INS Tabar (F44) is the third of the Talwar-class frigates of the Indian Navy. INS Tabar is the first vessel in the Talwar class to be armed with supersonic BrahMos (PJ-10) Anti-ship cruise missiles.

In the Gulf of Aden, there has been a sharp increase in pirate activity.  A few Indians were also captured and have now been released.  Recently a Saudi oil tanker has been captured.

Well, it seems Indian Navy has started taking active part in providing backup to the Merchant ships from India.  They saved one recently.  A Japanese ship M V Stolt Valor with 18 Indian crew members was hijacked from Gulf of Aden by Somalian pirates on September 15.

The Navy warship rushed its commandos on an armed helicopter to intervene and they successfully repulsed the pirates attacking the commercial carrier, sources added.

“An armed helicopter with marine commandos was launched from the naval warship to intervene and prevent the pirates from boarding and hijacking the merchant vessel. This timely and successful intervention led to the pirates aborting their attempt,” sources said.

Still the pirates seemed hell bent on taking the Indian Navy after this incident.  So, Indian Navy did what it has been trained to do – sink the enemy ship.  The Indian stealth frigate INS Tabar was deployed in Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy surveillance and patrolling.

In a fierce battle it sunk the “mother ship” of the pirates, as they sped off in speed boats.

Despite repeated calls from INS Tabar, the pirate vessel’s crew threatened to blow up the naval warship if it sailed closer.

Pirates were also seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers and they continued the threats and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar, he said.

CNN terms these exercises by India as “showcasing of Indian Navy’s might”.  I think it is time that Indian defense forces flex their muscles where required to be fighting fit when the actual war breaks out.  In fact that these forces are demo-ing their preparedness and strength is enough of a warning to a potential enemy’s forces.