Washington: The Indian Navy's dramatic rescue of a commercial ship from pirates off Somalia's coast shows how India's military has developed special forces capabilities on par with some of the world's best, according to Western analysts.
"The success of the operation marks the Indian Navy as a top-class force in terms of training, command and control and other capabilities," CNN quoted John Bradford, Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs fellow, as saying. What marks this operation as impressive is how risk was minimised by using a coordinated force that includes the use of a warship, drones, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, and marine commandos, Bradford said.
The Navy deployed warship INS Kolkata, long-endurance Sea Guardian drones, P-8I surveillance aircraft and airdropped elite MARCOS commandos from a C-17 plane to rescue the Bulgarian-owned ship. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin conveyed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday his appreciation for the Indian Navy's role in conducting anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean Region.
Experts fear the volatile security situation in the Red Sea due to attacks by Yemen-based Houthi rebels on commercial shipping may tie up international forces and provide a window for Somali pirates in the nearby Horn of Africa presenting a multi-billion-dollar threat to the global economy.
Somali pirates' capture of the MV Ruen in December last year marked the first successful hijacking of a vessel off the strife-torn country's coast since 2017. The vessel was hijacked by Somali pirates on December 14 last year and was reported to have sailed out as a pirate ship towards conducting acts of piracy on the high seas, the Indian Navy said.
But when the Ruen, now operated by a pirate crew, last week left Somali waters with the intent of committing acts of piracy on the high seas, the Indian Navy made moves to intercept it, according to a navy statement posted on social platform X. Analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, said the incident highlighted the professionalism of the Indian Navy and said India's marine commando force, known as MARCOS, had learned from its US and British counterparts.
The Indian Navy itself is a highly trained and disciplined professional force, Schuster said. MARCOS' nearly eight months of training is modelled after Britain's SAS. Despite a very intense selection process, only about 10% to 15% of those who enter the training graduate, he said.
The analysts noted that the Indian Navy is experienced in anti-piracy operations, going back more than 20 years and the restive security situation in one of the world's major shipping lanes meant they were likely to be called on again. "The Indian show of force proved too much for the pirates," CNN commented. It also noted that Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has thanked India for rescuing the hijacked vessel and its crew.
