Guided missile stealth frigate INS Teg, Image used for representative purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

An Indian naval frigate was diverted and a P-8I maritime patrol aircraft pressed in for search and rescue (SAR) efforts after Compros-flagged Oil Tanker MV Prestige Falcon, capsized about 25 NM South East of Ras Madrakah. Oman on the evening of July 15. The tanker has a 16-member crew, which includes 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans, according to the Maritime Security Centre (MSC) of Oman.

“Stealth frigate INS Teg deployed in the region and undergoing Operational Turnround (OTR), was sailed at short notice to render SAR assistance. SAR efforts are progressing in coordination with Omani authorities and assets, in rough seas and strong winds,” a Defence source said on July 17. “Indian Navy’s P8I is also assisting in search for survivors.”

Indian Naval ships on deployment in the Gulf of Aden and the region regularly visit Oman ports for OTR and P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft have also been visiting Oman for OTR extending their reach and endurance.

In September 2021, Indian Navy and Royal Oman Navy signed a Memorandum of Understanding for exchange of White Shipping Information to facilitate information exchange on merchant shipping traffic, through Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) and MSC, Oman and contribute to “enhanced maritime safety and security in the region.”