Indian Navy Removes Unexploded Missile From Inside a VLCC

The Indian Navy's EOD specialists have carefully removed an unexploded missile from inside the hull of a Greek-owned VLCC.

The tanker Olympic Life departed Fujairah, UAE in late May, bound for Kochi. On May 26, the crew reported an explosion from a missile attack. The ship sustained a substantial hole in the side and retained an unexploded (likely Iranian) missile inside her hull, but she was able to continue on her voyage.

The crew of the Olympic Life informed Indian authorities that the tanker had a missile embedded somewhere belowdecks, and the message got passed on to the Southern Naval Command. The command dispatched an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team to the site at the port of Kochi to address the problem, which was not a simple matter. The missile had punched through multiple bulkheads on its way in, and had lodged itself in a fuel tank.

To extract the missile without causing an explosion, the EOD team had to carefully evaluate the device and its surroundings, then isolate its detonator to ensure that it could not go off during handling. Once this was completed, they extracted the warhead and the remains of the missile's airframe. The Indian Navy has taken all recovered components to a storage site for thorough inspection.

In a statement, the Indian Navy emphasized that the team had responded to aid the vessel without regard to its nationality or its ownership, and affirmed its intent to be seen as "a responsible maritime force dedicated to global maritime safety and a trusted and preferred security partner."

Olympic Life has completed repairs, and she departed port on Thursday, bound for Singapore.