The Narendra Modi government is poised to enhance maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) by approving runway extensions at Diglipur in North Andamans and Campbell Bay in the Great Nicobar Islands, with plans for night landings at Port Blair airport to commence soon.
It is believed that the Narendra Modi government is close to approving the extension of the runway at Agatti Airport in Lakshadweep and constructing a new runway at Minicoy Islands.
The runway at INS Baaz in Campbell Bay will be extended by another 4,000 feet to accommodate large jets and fighters. Similarly, the runway at INS Kohassa in Diglipur will also be extended to handle big jets, allowing both locations to serve as forward-deployed air bases in emergencies.
To top it all off, the Veer Savarkar airport in Port Blair will shortly see an Airbus 321 landing by the Indian military to demonstrate night landing capabilities, opening the runway to night landings by commercial aircraft. Night landings are possible at the Veer Savarkar airport.
The Modi government’s seriousness about increasing its sea legs in the Indian Ocean region is demonstrated by the six new radars that will be stationed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, along with other radars in the Lakshadweep Islands, to boost maritime and air domain awareness.
The Modi government’s commitment to expanding its marine reach in the Indian Ocean Rim is demonstrated by the announcement that six new radars will be installed for improved maritime and air domain awareness in the Andamans and Nicobar Islands, along with new radars in the Lakshadweep Islands.
Aside from the construction of the high-power radar, the runway at the Campbell facility is being expanded as part of a proposal to establish a transshipment facility at Galathea Bay in Great Nicobar, which is only 150 kilometers from Banda Aceh in Indonesia. The Minicoy Islands are only 300 kilometers from the Maldives, which is punching well above its weight against India to secure further loans from China.
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As the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands sit astride major sea lanes from the Suez Canal and the Persian Gulf, these initiatives, if realized soon, could give India significant strategic advantages over key entry points to the South China Sea through the Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok straits. They would also enhance India’s early warning capabilities against potential PLA Navy aggression in the Indian Ocean Region and the Pacific.