2023 attack on the Chem Pluto

History
Name	Chem Pluto
Owner	Rio Brillante
Operator	Ace Quantum Chemical Tankers
Port of registry	Monrovia
Completed	2012
Identification	IMO number: 9624770
Status	active
General characteristics
Type	Chemical tanker
Tonnage	12,226 GT 21,323 DWT in summer
Length	149 m (488 ft 10 in)
Beam	24 m (78 ft 9 in)
Crew	22

INS Chennai – one of the destroyers which reacted to the attack

ICGS Vikram – the patrol ship which aided the tanker

Sensor operators on an Indian P-8I – the type of aircraft patrolling the area

On 23 December 2023, the tanker Chem Pluto was struck by an anti-ship missile or drone while it was carrying oil from Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to New Mangalore Port, India.^[1] The strike happened at 10:00 local time (06:00 GMT) when the ship was about 200 miles (320 km) south-west of Veraval.^[2]

Events

The missile hit the poop deck and penetrated the hull, causing internal damage, a fire and power failure. There were no casualties in the mostly Indian crew of 22 who were able to control the fire, restore power and get the ship under way again.^[1]

The Indian Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean region alerted the Indian Coast Guard who sent the patrol ship ICGS Vikram to assist and escort the tanker while the Indian Navy patrolled with a warship and P-8I maritime aircraft.^[1]

The United States Department of Defense announced that this was a direct attack by the Iranian military but the Iranian foreign ministry denied that they were responsible.^[2]

The ship is owned by a Japanese company, Rio Brillante, and operated by Ace Quantum Chemical Tankers which is based in the Netherlands and associated with the Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. The ship was registered in Monrovia to give it a Liberian flag of convenience.^[3]

Reaction

The ship docked in Mumbai on Christmas Day for repairs and forensic investigation. The initial investigations were made by the Indian Navy's Explosive Ordinance Disposal team and subsequent analysis by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Pune. Fragments recovered from the ship indicated that the missile may have been a HESA Shahed 136 drone. Two Iranian vessels near the attack were boarded and searched by the Indian Navy – bulk carrier Artenos and general cargo ship Saviz – but no evidence of involvement was found.^[4]

India reacted by assigning destroyers, including INS Chennai, INS Kochi, INS Kolkata and INS Mormugao, to patrol the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean, while Prime Minister Modi discussed the incident and Middle East issues with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, and the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.^[5][4][1]

See also

• Red Sea crisis
• Timeline of the Red Sea crisis
• July 2021 Gulf of Oman incident
• Operation Prosperity Guardian

References

1. Drone attack sparked fire, total power failure on MV Chem Pluto, WIO News, 29 December 2023, archived from the original on 30 December 2023, retrieved 11 January 2024
2. Phelan Chatterjee (24 December 2023), Tanker hit off India coast by drone from Iran, says US, BBC News, archived from the original on 10 January 2024, retrieved 11 January 2024
3. "US accuses Iran of attacking tanker in Indian Ocean", Financial Times, archived from the original on 25 December 2023, retrieved 25 December 2023
4. "Initial probe points to Iran link in tanker drone strike", Hindustan Times, 27 December 2023, archived from the original on 10 January 2024, retrieved 11 January 2024
5. Anbarasan Ethirajan (26 December 2023), India deploys three warships to Arabian Sea after attack on tanker, BBC News, archived from the original on 1 January 2024, retrieved 11 January 2024