The Narendra Modi Government 3.0 is all set to take big steps in maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) with approved extensions of runways at Diglipur in North Andamans and at Campbell Bay in the Great Nicobar Islands with night landings soon to take place at Port Blair Airport.
Infra improvement underway
It is understood by now that the Modi government is on the edge of approving the extension of the runway at Agatti Airport in Lakshadweep and a new runway at Minicoy Islands. The runway at the Indian Navy ship in Campbell Bay will be extended by another 4000 feet to cater to big jets and fighters. The runway at INS Kohassa in Diglipur will be extended to cater to big jets and could be used as deployed air bases in emergencies.
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Airport can handle larger planes
The Indian Military will soon land an Airbus 321 at night to exhibit night landing capabilities at the Veer Savarkar airport in Port Blair, leaving the field wide open for commercial jets to land at night. The Veer Savarkar airport has night landing capabilities. The Modi government’s significance in extending its sea legs in IOR is evident from the fact that six new radars will be stationed at Andamans and Nicobar Islands with new radars in Lakshadweep Islands for better maritime and air domain awareness.
How is the runway set up at Campbell Bay?
The runway at Campbell Bay is being expanded apart from the installation of the high-power radar as part of a proposal to set up a transshipment bay at Galathea Bay in Great Nicobar, which is merely 150 kilometers away from Banda Aceh of Indonesia. The Minicoy Islands is a mere 300 kilometers from the Maldives, which is boxing way above its weight category against India to get more loans from China.
A&N Islands and Lakshadweep Islands
The A&N Islands and Lakshadweep Islands lie on the main sea lanes of communication emerging from the Suez Canal and the Persian Gulf. If these programs translate into reality soon, India will have leverage on all routes to the South China Sea via the Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok straits and also have early warning on PLA Navy aggression in the Indian Ocean Region and the Pacific.
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The Infra-upgrade in Islands
The Narendra Modi Government has deployed instruction capabilities in the Island territories of Andamans and Nicobar Islands to project dominance in the Indian Ocean and counter the expanding Chinese naval footprint in the region.
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Ms Vijaya Pramodini SK, an aspiring journalist, is currently dedicated to her studies in journalism and communication. With a keen eye for authenticity, she strives to uncover and present the real facts, embodying the principles of ethical journalism.
