Indian naval officer Lieutenant Commander Shivam Kumar has been awarded the Shaurya Chakra, India's third-highest peacetime gallantry award, for leading a hazardous rescue and recovery operation aboard the Cameroon-flagged LPG tanker MT Falcon following an explosion and fire in the Gulf of Aden on October 18, 2025, The Print reported.

Serving as the Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Damage Control (NBCD) Officer aboard the nearby INS Trikand, Kumar volunteered to lead efforts to locate two Indian crew members trapped inside the damaged vessel, which faced ongoing risks of secondary explosions, structural failure and toxic fume exposure, alongside broader regional security concerns.

While Kumar’s picture published by The Print in its report doesn’t show him wearing a badge signaling he is a actually member of the Marine Commandos (MARCOS) the special forces branch of the Indian Navy, his actions and skillset as attributable from the daring rescue are comparable to India’s elite naval frogmen.

The MARCOS are Indian Navy’s elite operators and as such the equivalents of the US Navy Seals and the UK Special Boat Service.

MARCOS members are also known for their limited but prevalent role in India’s counter insurgency operations in the Kashmir Valley, where they are often clubbed in with the Indian Army’s Para Special Forces operators and reportedly referred to as “dadhiwala fauj” meaning “bearded army” by civilians and militants in the area. The beards are likely used as a means of the special operators working to blend into the local population and infiltrate local militant networks.

Much of India's population didn't know of the existence of MARCOS until the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008, where a unit of the frogmen responded after the National Security Guard (NSG) primarily staffed by the Indian Army's elite operators were delayed and local law enforcement was unable to contain the threat alone. During the 2008 operation the MARCOS contingent was noted for being task focused while not seeking any media attention, in the process winning the hearts of many young Indian men.

As part of his rescue efforts, Kumar navigated severely compromised and extremely hot compartments filled with dense smoke and volatile gases to conduct safety assessments and search for the missing sailors under extremely hazardous conditions. He successfully located and retrieved the remains of both deceased crew members from the damaged sections of the tanker, completing the recovery despite the vessel's unstable and dangerous state.

The recognition conferred by the awarding of the Shaurya Chakra underscores the continued risks faced by Indian Navy personnel operating in the Gulf of Aden area, as the service maintains an active presence supporting maritime security and search-and-rescue capability across key regional shipping routes.