INDIA'S NEW NAVAL AIRBASE IN MINICOY ISLANDS

India lost its foothold in Maldives, the smallest country in Asia, to Chinese overtures. But, not losing its hold in the Indian Ocean Region, the Indian Navy is building a naval air base in the Lakshadweep Islands group. The Indian Isles, located in the Arabian Sea, is just 507 kilometres from the Maldives and is seen as an alternative to the Maldives. RITU SHARMA reports

- RITU SHARMA

The ramping up of facilities on the island will mean that soon, the Indian frontline fighter jets will roar in the Western part of the Indian Ocean.

The induction of the base will be in the first week of March 2024, the timeline of which is congruent with the withdrawal of Indian troops from the island nation. The new dispensation in the island country has severed its traditional close military and diplomatic ties with India and has leaned squarely towards China.

This was seen as China’s coup d’état in India’s strategic space. Maldives’ strategic importance doesn’t stem from its size but from its location. Its islands are dispersed atop a 960-kilometre submarine ridge that runs north to south and forms a sort of wall in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

In the IOR, there are two safe passageways for ships to travel through, and they are situated at the southern and northern ends of this island group. The maritime trade flow between the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia and the Gulfs of Aden and Hormuz in West Asia depends on both of these sea lanes of communication (SLOCs). The Maldives essentially act as “a toll gate,” even though the Indian Ocean is regarded as the main route for international trade and energy flow.

India sprung into action and is set to commission a new base in the Lakshadweep islands next week. This base, named INS Jatayu, will play a crucial role in enhancing the Navy’s presence in the region. INS Jatayu will be based on Minicoy Island, one of the picturesque Lakshadweep islands.