IAF C-17 executes airdrop 2,600 km away to free hijacked ship
In the spring of 2024, in a secret mission involving flying undeclared in foreign airspace 2,600 km away, the Indian Air Force C-17 heavy lift aircraft flew non-stop for 10 hours to carry out a precision drop of Navy commandos and their equipment to help free a merchant vessel seized by pirates in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia in Africa.
The bulk carrier, MV Ruen, had been hijacked by Somali pirates near the Yemeni island of Socotra and was intercepted by the guided missile destroyer INS Kolkata, on anti-piracy patrol under the Navy’s ongoing Operation Sankalp that was launched in 2019 to safeguard sea lanes.
The task to assist the Navy fell on No 81 Squadron, the ‘Skylords’, based at Hindon airbase near the Capital and the IAF’s sole squadron operating the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy lift aircraft that can airlift up to 77,000 kgs of cargo and has a ferry range of 11,000 kms. The mission was time critical and secret, requiring careful planning and execution.
The aircraft was piloted by Wing Commander Akshay Saxena, commissioned into the Flying Branch in June 2006 and on the posted strength of the C-17 Squadron since February 2021. He has been conferred the Vayu Sena Medal for gallantry on the eve of the Republic Day.
On March 16, 2024, aircraft airdropped two Combat Rubberised Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats and a team of 18 Marine Commandos (MARCOs) with combat load to capture a pirate-controlled ship.
Pirates onboard the ship were not only launching attacks on merchant vessels in the Arabian Sea but had also fired at INS Kolkata and had shot down a naval spotter drone on March 15.
The objective area was near the Somalian coast, 2685 kms from Mumbai and about 1,000 kms outside the Indian Flight Information Region, that is the area in which Indian air traffic controllers exercise jurisdiction.
“The mission involved real threat of small arms with the pirates over and above the extended mission timelines which involved flying into airspace of another country undeclared and undetected for close to four hours,” the citation for the award states.
The officer, as Captain of the C-17 aircraft, decided to switch off all emitters, fly low level over the high seas in foreign territory and make his drop at dusk to avoid detection. Even after receiving the changed drop location only 90 kms prior to the original drop point, he guided the crew to safely execute a precision airdrop thus resulting in the capture of the pirates and rescue of MV Ruen with its 17-member crew.
The operation to rescue MV Ruen lasted 40 hours and was also supported by the Indian warship, INS Subhadra, Sea Guardian high-altitude long-endurance drones and the P-8I maritime patrol aircraft. The IAF had termed the mission as a remarkable display of jointness and integration, resulting in all 35 pirates being captured.
“Wing Commander Saxena displayed effective inter-service coordination with the Indian Navy while maintaining heightened situational awareness both on ground and in air. All possible measures were taken to maintain secrecy of the almost 10 hours long mission. During the flawless execution of the extremely gruelling mission the officer displayed exceptional courage, dynamic leadership, outstanding professionalism and steadfast determination,” the citation adds.
