Indian Navy comes to rescue of Norwegian ship with desi crew

Bengaluru: A Norwegian-registered ship MV 'Vela' with an all-Indian crew was saved from a possible tragedy at sea by the timely intervention of Indian Navy warship INS 'Teg'.

Prompt technical aid provided by INS 'Teg' helped the crew of the vessel in distress to recover its ‘port anchor’ (that helps the ship to stay at one place when needed) and its long cable.

The anchor and the cable (weighing around 42 tonnes and 330 meters) had to be recovered so that MV 'Vela' could continue her sailing to its intended destination.

Navy says the incident occurred on August 25 while INS 'Teg' was patrolling on the piracy-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden.

“The ship received a call from a Combined Task Force aircraft for providing assistance to MV 'Vela', a Norwegian-owned ship with an all Indian crew. The lack of a ‘port anchor’ and cable had completely disabled her. The equipment was left hanging into the sea, leaving the ship in danger,” the Navy spokesperson stated.

The incident not only severely disabled the ship, but restricted the speeds to 5-6 knots, thus making her vulnerable to piracy attacks. Since the incident occurred in the dense shipping corridor, MV 'Vela' could also have been a navigational hazard for other ships.

Quick response

Navy said INS 'Teg' dispatched a specialist team to carry out an assessment of the situation before providing assistance to recover its dangling equipment. “Our response was quick and our team was lead by the ship’s engineering officer supported by specialist officers, seamanship instructor, anchor chain cable specialist and machinery specialist,” the spokesperson added.

The anchor and the cable were recovered after three days. “It was a tough task, but their combined experience came handy. The rescued vessel continued her transit through the constricted waters of the Red Sea and Suez Canal,” he revealed.

Both MV 'Vela' and the Combined Task Force later expressed their gratitude to INS 'Teg' and to Indian Navy through emails. “Your concern and commitment for safety of life at sea is well noted and your efforts in reaching out to fellow mariners in emergency at sea, keeping aside committed voyage is conforming to the best maritime traditions; worth emulating by other mariners. I hereby convey my sincere appreciation for your concern at sea, and efforts to provide assistance,” one of the emails read.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2012, INS 'Teg' is a gen-next Talwar-class guided missile stealth frigate. Built to meet the specific command and control needs, the ship is fitted with BrahMos surface-to-surface missile system, a surface-to-air missile system, 100 mm medium-range gun, close-in weapon system, torpedo tubes, anti-submarine rockets to name a few.

INS 'Teg', a warship reporting to the Western Naval Command, continues to be deployed at Gulf of Aden in her anti-piracy role.

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