Indian Naval Ship INS Trikand, a mission-deployed stealth frigate of the Indian Navy operating in the Gulf of Aden, responded in a swift and coordinated manner to a piracy attempt targeting MV Golden Arsenal, a St. Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged bulk carrier.
The merchant vessel, en route from Aden, Yemen, reported an attempted pirate attack approximately 300 nautical miles east-northeast of Djibouti. The alert was received through coordinated inputs from the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), following which INS Trikand was tasked to intercept and render assistance.
MV Golden Arsenal, carrying 21 crew members including one Indian national, sustained damage to the bridge superstructure and adjacent compartments during the incident. The crew had taken refuge in the vessel’s citadel and remained safe throughout the event.
On 02 July 2026, a boarding team from INS Trikand embarked the vessel to conduct a comprehensive sanitisation and security assessment. No suspicious personnel were found onboard. Following clearance, the crew was safely released from the citadel and, along with Indian Navy personnel, undertook an initial damage evaluation.
An Indian Navy P-8I maritime patrol aircraft was simultaneously deployed to provide aerial surveillance and enhance maritime domain awareness in the area, thereby supporting ongoing anti-piracy operations.
With the vessel declared secure and the immediate threat neutralised, INS Trikand concluded anti-piracy operations. MV Golden Arsenal subsequently resumed its scheduled voyage.
The Indian Navy remains firmly committed to safeguarding international merchant shipping, countering piracy, and ensuring the safety of seafarers across the Indian Ocean Region as part of its continuous maritime security posture.
