Indian Navy recovers unexploded missile warhead from tanker off Kochi

The Indian Navy has recovered an unexploded missile warhead from a crude oil tanker that had suffered an explosion while transiting through the Arabian Sea, completing a high-risk operation that officials said underscored the force's technical expertise and maritime response capabilities, a PIB statement showed.

The operation involved the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Olympic Life, which was sailing from Fujairah in the UAE to Kochi when it reported an explosion in its hull off the coast of Oman on May 26. The vessel, which had no Indian nationals on board, later informed authorities that an unexploded ordnance was lodged inside the ship as it continued its voyage toward Kochi.

Following the alert received through the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), the Indian Navy launched a coordinated response. Southern Naval Command, based in Kochi, deployed a specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team to assess the situation.


The team found that a projectile had pierced the vessel's hull, passed through multiple structural compartments and become embedded inside a fuel storage tank — a scenario that posed significant risks to the vessel, its crew and nearby port infrastructure.

Naval specialists adopted a phased approach to ensure the operation could be carried out safely. After implementing standard safety protocols, the EOD team used advanced diagnostic techniques to identify and isolate the warhead's detonation mechanism before proceeding with its extraction.

The unexploded missile warhead, along with associated debris recovered during the operation, has since been moved to a secure facility for storage and further examination.

The operation reflects India's broader role in ensuring maritime safety in the Indian Ocean Region. The release said that the Navy's response was initiated despite the vessel being foreign-flagged and carrying no Indian crew members, reinforcing its commitment to safeguarding international shipping and maintaining security across vital sea lanes.