Strategic military infra upgrade in the works for Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- April 10, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Strategic military infra upgrade in the works for Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Subject: Geography
Section: Mapping
Context:
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are undergoing significant military infrastructure enhancements, which include revamped airfields, jetties, additional logistics, storage facilities, habitats for troops, and a sophisticated surveillance infrastructure.
Details:
- These upgrades aim to support the deployment of more military forces, including warships, aircraft, missile batteries, and troops, amid growing Chinese activities in the region, notably the construction of a military facility in Myanmar’s Coco Islands, 55 km north of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Advancement of Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a military base:
- The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), established in 2001 as the first and only tri-service command in the islands, is spearheading these upgrades.
- Plans include improving surveillance infrastructure on one of the northern islands, extending an airstrip at a crucial naval air station to accommodate larger aircraft and fighter jets, and expanding a jetty for bigger ships.
- Infrastructure enhancements also involve upgrading an IAF station to host fighter squadrons, extending a runway, and building facilities for asset maintenance.
- Additionally, efforts are being made to construct a container transhipment terminal and associated infrastructure to support operations.
- Recent inaugurations by military officials include a modern hangar and dispersal system, a Precision Approach Radar (PAR) for safe aircraft landings in low visibility, and an Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System. Communication and operational capabilities have also been boosted with the inauguration of Naval Communication Network (NCN) Centres at INS Kohassa, INS Baaz and INS Kardi.
- Enhanced responsibilities of the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC):
- The Centre has requested the NRSC to expand its manpower for analyzing satellite imagery and enhancing surveillance of inhabited islands in the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
- The NRSC’s responsibilities encompass satellite data acquisition and processing, aerial remote sensing, and disaster management support.
- A recent Multi-Agency Maritime Security Group (MAMSG)-Policy meeting discussed surveillance strategies for uninhabited islands, underscoring the comprehensive approach to bolstering security and surveillance in these strategic regions.
The strategic importance of the island chain:
- There are 836 Islands in A&N, of which only 38 are inhabited.
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are of great strategic importance since they straddle one of the busiest sea lanes in the world and give India the reach to monitor the flow of traffic from the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean) to the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) via the Strait of Malacca that’s key to trade and oil shipments in the Indo-Pacific.
Source: IE