On Monday, Air Force Wing Commander Akshay Saxena received the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) for his courageous rescue mission in the Arabian Sea in 2024.
Wing Commander Akshay Saxena was assigned a mission in support of operation Sankalp to compel 35 pirates on a merchant vessel to yield and guarantee the secure evacuation of 17 crew members.
On March 16, 2024, Akshay Saxena flew the C-17 Globemaster aircraft undertaking a dangerous mission to transport two Combat Rubberised Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats and a squad of 18 Marine Commandos.
On March 16, 2024, Akshay Saxena flew the C-17 Globemaster plane on a daring mission to transport two Combat Rubberized Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats along with a group of 18 Marine Commandos.
The MARCOs unit was tasked with capturing the pirate-held Bulgarian vessel Ruen that Somali pirates were utilizing as a Mother Vessel. The pirates aboard MV Ruen were not just assaulting merchant ships in the Arabian Sea but also fired upon INS Kolkata and shot down a naval surveillance drone on March 15, 2024.
ALSO READ: The AI Shakeout: Tech Titans Tremble as Chinese Startup Disrupts the Market
Akshay Saxena’s objective was laden with difficulties, especially as the drop zone was dangerously close to the Somalian coastline, 1450 Nautical Miles from Mumbai and 540 Nautical Miles outside the Indian Flight Information Region.
Notwithstanding the risk posed by small arms from Somali pirates and the reality that Wing Commander Akshay Saxena had to maneuver the C-17 Globemaster into the airspace of a foreign nation without prior notice and, crucially, undetected for nearly 4 hours, Saxena, serving as Captain of the C-17, accomplished a precise airdrop at twilight, stealthily. To achieve this, Saxena turned off all emitters and piloted the aircraft at a low altitude over open waters, descending after sunset to evade detection.
“Due to the time critical and secret nature of the mission, he finalised suitable crew and ensured aircraft readiness for a quick launch. 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 Officer as Captain of the C-17 aircraft decided to switch off all emitters, fly low level over high seas in foreign territory and drop at dusk time to avoid detection,” a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence reads.
