Prime Minister Narendra Modi might have highlighted the tourism potential of the Lakshadweep archipelago through his early January visit there, the attention of international strategic observers is now being drawn towards another significant move by India and that is to launch a new naval base in the Minicoy island of Lakshadweep, named INS Jatayu, likely to be announced in the first week of March. Though the Indian Navy has not given any official statement on this yet, it is known from official sources that New Delhi plans to substantially enhance its maritime prowess in the Indian Ocean by activating another maritime base along with an air base in the Lakshadweep archipelago situated in the nine degree channel, through which $1 trillion worth of commercial maritime traffic traverses annually. 

India’s overall maritime security strategy is currently being managed from the Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands in the Bay of Bengal. India has also set up its first tri-service strategic command to oversee the entire Indian Ocean from Australia to the coast of Africa to Malacca Strait. Therefore, the new naval and air bases at Lakshadweep Islands will be a new feather in India’s strategic cap. The Nine Degree Channel is a major maritime route between Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands besides the 10 Degree Channel near the Andaman and Nicobar islands are the prominent commercial routes from the Suez Canal and Persian Gulf to South East Asia. Apart from these major sea lanes of communications, India also dominates the Sunda and Lombok straits in Indonesia.

The planned extended air strip at Agatti will enable the flying operations of Sukhoi-30 and Rafale aircraft, which will not only dominate the entire Indian Ocean, but will also deny any naval and flying operation of the rival forces like China and Pakistan. Standing as India’s sentinels in the Indian Ocean and incorporated as India’s major strategic outpost in the high seas, the Lakshadweep archipelago will provide the Indian maritime strategists a powerful arm in the high seas, through which India will flex its maritime muscle. The new naval and air bases in the Arabian Sea are being set up at a time when the Indian Ocean is witnessing heightened aggressive posture by various state and non-state actors. To counter these forces, India has very recently undertaken effective and successful missions and thus established itself as a dominant maritime power, on which the world powers can rely for safe movements of their maritime traffic. 

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Why India Needs Naval And Air Bases In Arabian Sea 

The rise of Somalian sea pirates and the emergence of Houthi rebels has necessitated the expansion of Indian naval forces in the Indian Ocean, through which over 90 percent of India’s overseas trade is conducted. At a time when all major powers of the world are competing for stronger presence in the Indian Ocean region to safeguard their strategic and economic interests, the Indian defence establishment has taken a very timely step to convey a strong message to them that India will not relinquish the overall dominance of the maritime region. Since China is emerging as a principal rival force in the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy needs to substantially augment its presence to deny operational space to the PLA Navy, which has established its presence in the Indian Ocean on the excuse of tackling the Somalian pirates. Chinese spy ships and even submarines roam near Indian waters with impunity which Indian naval observers have taken note of.

The new naval and air bases in the Arabian Sea will add a new dimension to Indian maritime strategy. The Island chain will provide India a maritime naval and air platform in the Arabian Sea, which will be able to keep an effective check on all international naval movements, including of the Chinese navy. China’s ambition to station its naval facilities in Pakistan’s Gwadar Port, in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port and Maldivian islands with the intention to dominate the maritime region will be effectively neutralised by enhanced Indian military presence on Minicoy and Agatti islands.

The upgrade of naval and air facilities at the Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands will not only safeguard Indian maritime commerce but also lead to infrastructure upgrades that will help in promoting tourism in the Island chain located 400 km to the west of Kerala. Only 10 out of 36 islands are populated with a total population of 73,000, but the island territory adds to 4,00,000 sq km of Exclusive Economic Zone and oversees the maritime traffic from Europe, Middle East, Western Asia and Southeast Asia and the Far East. Thus, situated far away from the mainland, these islands provide a strategic maritime platform to India to keep an eye on all maritime shipping.

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Warning To Chinese Navy

INS Jatayu at Minicoy islands is projected to be India’s sitting Aircraft Carrier in the high seas, with power projection potentials in the entire Arabian Sea and up to Malacca Straits, which is a major maritime entry route of merchant ships from the Pacific Sea and more specifically the South China Sea. To exploit its strategic potential India’s decision to launch a new naval base named INS Jatayu at Minicoy and an extended air base at Agatti, will draw the attention of maritime strategy planners of rival and friendly navies. It will be treated as force accretion for the Indo-pacific powers in the Arabian Sea also. The duo will substantially add to India’s capability to interdict any commercial or naval warship entering Indian Ocean via Malacca Strait and through the other sea lanes of communication. Moreover, the naval and air bases at the Lakshadweep islands will also enable Indian naval commanders to take control of the Arabian Sea.

Located 524 km away from Maldives, the new naval base at Minicoy will be a perfect warning to the Chinese Navy to stay away from the area claimed by the Indian Navy as Indian waters. To showcase its capabilities and maritime intentions, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Minicoy base on the newly acquired Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant accompanied by INS Vikramaditya along with frigates and corvettes. As the naval and air force fighters will be able to operate from Minicoy, Indian military will thus be able to leverage island territories for power projection in the maritime region. This will add to the ongoing planned execution of new facilities at Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar of the Andaman group of Islands.

The author is a senior journalist and strategic affairs analyst.