Joint exercise showcases anti-piracy strategy

The exercise demonstrated a scenario in which Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (RECAAP) reported loosing contact with MV Hyun Tau, a South Korean flagged tanker while on passage through straits of Malacca. The alert received from the ship indicated that the vessel was hijacked, and an incident alert was issued by the Incident Command System. Following this, the Korean Coast Guard HQ informed the Indian Coast Guard Headquarters and Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (Chennai) that the KCG Ship 3011 transiting through the Bay of Bengal after its anti-piracy patrol in Gulf of Aden would like to jointly operate with the Indian Coast Guard ships. 

The Indian Coast Guard alerts its units in the area while launching the Dornier aircraft to carry out the sea-air coordinated search for MV Hyun Tau. Its ships Shaurya, Rani Abbakka, C-423 and C-431 were brought to notice and deployed along with the Korean Coast Guard ship for a coordinated anti-piracy operation. 

The exercise commenced with the interdiction of the pirate vessel through the interceptor boats and Chetak helicopter, following which a boarding operation was launched to rescue the crew. During the interdiction, the chief officer and the chief engineer of the hijacked vessel are pushed overboard by the pirates and the Indian Coast Guard conducts a helo-rescue of the personnel and winched down the survivors onboard the Korean Coast Guard ship. External fire fighting systems showcased both the countries’ coast guard ships extinguishing the fire onboard the hijacked vessel.

The joint search and rescue exercise at sea was reviewed by Rajendra Singh, Director General Indian Coast Guard, and Commissioner General Park Kyung Min of the Korean Coast Guard. Through exercises like these, the Indian Coast Guard has reinforced its dependability for maritime security and its growing capabilities in the search and rescue operations in its jurisdiction.