Marlin Luanda missile strike

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Marlin Luanda
History
NameMarlin Luanda
OwnerSuntech
OperatorTrafigura
Port of registryMarshall Islands
BuilderNew Times Shipyard, China
Completed2018
Identification
General characteristics
Tonnage
  • 63,338 GT
  • 109,991 DWT
Length249.9 m (819 ft 11 in)
Beam44 m (144 ft 4 in)
Draft14.95 m (49 ft 1 in)

On 26 January 2024, during the Red Sea crisis, the fuel tanker Marlin Luanda was struck by an anti-ship missile fired by Houthi forces.

Marlin Luanda

The Marlin Luanda is an oil tanker built in 2018 at the New Times Shipyards in Taizhou, China. It is owned by Suntech Maritime and operated by Oceonix Services Ltd, a company domiciled in Britain, on behalf of Trafigura, a company domiciled in Singapore.[1][2][3][4]

Missile strike

While sailing to Singapore from Egypt[5] the tanker, carrying Russian naphtha purchased below the price cap,[6] was struck by an anti-ship missile launched by Houthi rebels, as part of the Red Sea crisis. At the time it was approximately 110 kilometres (59 nmi; 68 mi) south-east of Aden.[7] The strike caused a fire in one of the ship's starboard cargo tanks, and the crew deployed firefighting equipment to combat it.[8][9] Early reports suggested the crew had abandoned the vessel, but this was later confirmed to be false.[10]

Following the attack, the USS Carney set sail towards the stricken vessel; it was also targeted by a Houthi missile, but shot it down. According to an anonymous US official, this was the first time the Houthis had directly targeted a US military vessel since the crisis began.[11][dubious – discuss]

On 27 January, Trafigura released a statement saying that the crew were unharmed, and that they continued to battle the fire with the aid of military vessels.[12] Later that day, Trafigura announced that the fire had been put out with the assistance of Indian, American, and French vessels and that the ship was heading towards a safe port.[13][14] The USS Carney, French frigate Alsace and the Indian destroyer INS Visakhapatnam assisted. Ten Indian Navy sailors with specialist fire fighting equipment came aboard, and fought the fire with the Marlin Luanda crew of 22 Indians and one Bangladeshi for six hours.[15]

The Houthis stated that the vessel was British and was targeted in response to "American-British aggression against our country".[4][14]

Aftermath

Trafigura announced that it was assessing the risk of further voyages through the Red Sea following the attacks, while the Free Spirit, a tanker carrying crude oil, did a u-turn to avoid entering the Gulf of Aden shortly after the attack. Prior to the attack most oil tankers had continued traversing through the Red Sea, with the significant exception of QatarEnergy.[16][13]

References

  1. ^ "Ship Marlin Luanda (Oil Products Tanker) Registered in Marshall Is - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 9829899, MMSI 538007848, Call sign V7KT9". MarineTraffic.com. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Marlin Luanda - Tanker / Aframax (LR 2) / Epoxy - IMO 9829899". Marlin Luanda - Tanker / Aframax (LR 2) / Epoxy - IMO 9829899. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Our fleet". suntech-maritime.com. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b Gregory, James (27 January 2024). "Houthis attack British-linked tanker Marlin Luanda in Gulf of Aden". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  5. ^ Gupta, Gaya (26 January 2024). "Houthi militants claim a hit on an oil tanker off Yemeni coast that set it on fire". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Oil tanker Marlin Luanda catches fire in Red Sea after missile attack by Yemen's Houthi fighters". Sky News. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Yemen's Houthi rebels escalate Red Sea attacks, hit Trafigura fuel tanker". saltwire.com. SaltWire. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Oil tanker on fire after Houthi missile attack, firm says". 26 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  9. ^ Ambrose, Tom (27 January 2024). "UK 'reserves right to respond' after oil tanker set alight off Yemen". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  10. ^ "'We Are On Fire': Distress Message of UK Oil Tanker's Captain After Houthi Attack; Indian Navy Is Nearby". News18. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  11. ^ Corp, Tara; Gambrell, Jon (27 January 2024). "Houthi rebels fire at US warship, set oil tanker alight as Red Sea attacks escalate". WAtoday. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Statement re Marlin Luanda". trafigura.com. Trafigura. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Trafigura assesses Red Sea risks after tanker attacked by Houthis". Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  14. ^ a b Sigsworth, Tim (27 January 2024). "British-linked tanker on fire after Houthi missile attack". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  15. ^ Blenkey, Nick (27 January 2024). "Fire on Marlin Luanda extinguished after 6 hour battle". MarineLog. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Yemen's Houthi rebels escalate Red Sea attacks, hit Trafigura fuel tanker". Retrieved 27 January 2024.
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