Indian navy is expected to open a third air base on Thursday, in Andaman and Nicobar islands strengthening surveillance of Chinese naval warships and submarines entering into the Indian Ocean through the Malacca Straits, experts and military officials said.
According to Reuters news reports, New Delhi has grown concerned over Chinese naval presence in its neighbourhood as well as the network of commercial ports which China is construction stretching from Sri Lanka to Pakistan, that India fears could develop naval outposts.
To counter Chinese challenges, the Indian military has seized the Andaman lying near the entrance to the Malacca Strait, deploying aircraft and warships since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the office in 2014.
In an official statement, the navy said Indian navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will be commissioning the new base, named as INS Kohassa, about 300 km (180 miles) north of the archipelago’s capital, Port Blair.
Navy spokesperson Captain DK Sharma said the new base will have a 1,000 m runway for Dornier surveillance aircraft and helicopters. However, the plan is to extend the base up to 3,000 metres in order to support fighter aircraft and also longer-range reconnaissance aircraft.
Former navy commodore Anil Jai Singh said: “The underlying thing is the expanding Chinese presence. If we have to really monitor Chinese presence, we need to be adequately equipped in the Andaman Islands.” He added, “If you have air bases you can cover a larger area.”
This week, Indian defence officials are due to hold talks with the defence minister of the Maldives, Mariya Ahmed Didi, where New Delhi is seeking to repair ties after the ouster of its pro-China leader in a presidential election last year.