Why is India building a naval base in the Lakshadweep (GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- The Indian Navy recently commissioned a new naval base, INS Jatayu, in the Minicoy Islands of Lakshadweep.
- India also intends to build a new airstrip in Minicoy and upgrade the existing one on the Agatti Islands.
- On par with its namesake in Hindu mythology, INS Jatayu is India’s forward operating naval base in the Arabian Sea, acting as India’s sentinel and a primary responder to the escalating threats of Somali pirates, Houthi militants, and Chinese expansionism.
Geographical location of Agatti and Minicoy Islands in Lakshadweep:
- INS Jatayu is India’s second naval base in Lakshadweep after INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti.
- Other key forward-operating bases and radar stations in Lakshadweep include INS Androth, INS Bitra, and INS Minicoy.
- Minicoy Islands is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep, about 215 nautical miles southwest of Kochi, which straddles the vital Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs).
- The Agatti airport upgrade is scheduled for completion in six years.
- Similarly, the development of a dual-use airport on Minicoy Islands is planned to be completed within the same timeframe, as stated in the Interim Defence Budget for 2024-2025.
- Upon completion, these airstrips will facilitate the operations of Sukhoi-30 and Rafale aircraft, serving as a deterrent against China and Pakistan, while showcasing India's air power capabilities.
Tourism:
- Beyond these military deployments, the government also aims to enhance tourism in Lakshadweep's Minicoy Island through the development of resorts and infrastructure including helipads.
- With a capital investment of Rs. 319 crore, an eco-tourism project has been commenced, featuring the construction of at least 110 beach villas and 40 water villas.
Strategic importance:
- The assets being created in the Lakshadweep will enable India to enhance its transborder military capability in an important part of the Indian Ocean region (IOR).
- The vital SLOC-s (sea lines of communication) from the Red Sea transit the IOR and investing in an Indian island in the Arabian Sea provides Delhi with many options, that range from surveillance to the projection of military power if the exigency arises.
Understanding channels and passages in the Indian waters:
- According to the interim defence budget of India (2024-2025), the Navy had been upgrading infrastructure facillities at naval units in Kavaratti, Minicoy, Agatti and Androth islands.
- The Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands sit on the nine-degrees channel, a crucial trade route carrying billions of dollars of commerce between Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The Minicoy islands are also located 524 km from the Maldives.
- The nine-degree channel between Lakshadweep and the Minicoy and the ten-degree channel near the Andaman and Nicobar islands serve as major commercial routes from the Suez Canal and the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia.
- India is already expanding its capabilities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with new facilities at Campbell Bay in the Great Nicobar.
- It is poised to become the country’s foremost ‘radar’ in the Arabian Sea, serving as a sentinel for monitoring maritime traffic and ensuring the safety and security of vital sea lanes. According to a statement by the Indian Navy, this naval base will increase the operational reach for anti-piracy and anti-narcotics operations in the Western Arabian Sea.
Checkmate to China and Maldives:
- India has had military ties with the Maldives for several decades, but the relationship has been impacted by changes in the political dispensation in the islands.
- The present government of President Mohamed Muizzu, which rode to power on an “India Out” plank in 2023 has a clear pro-China tilt.
- After taking power, Muizzu visited China ahead of India, and said Maldives’ small size is not a licence for anyone to bully the country, in an apparent response to calls on Indian social media for tourists to boycott Maldives after three Maldives deputy ministers made derogatory posts about Indian Prime Minister.
- In February, Muizzu asked India to replace military personnel, who operate humanitarian service planes based in the Maldives, with civilian technical staff.
Increasing Piracy & Militant Attacks
- The rise of Somalian sea pirates and the resurgence of Houthi rebels has necessitated the presence of Indian naval forces in the Indian Ocean, through which an estimated 95 per cent of its traded goods, including cheap Russian oil, are transported.
- As a regional powerhouse, India has significantly increased its presence and operations, deploying at least 10 warships, along with aircraft and Predator drones, for improved surveillance and response.
- The ongoing attacks have led shipping companies to bypass the Red Sea, opting for a longer, costlier route. This shift has caused traffic through the crucial Suez Canal to drop to its lowest since 2021, when a giant merchant vessel blocked the narrow waterway for days.
Watchdog for Anti-Drug Operations:
- Recently, the Arabian Sea has become a significant route for drug trafficking, as noticed by previous incidents. The Narcotics Control Bureau and the Indian Navy have disrupted some of the largest drug trafficking networks operating in this area.
- These operations originated from Pakistan's Balochistan province and involved transferring drugs between different cargo vessels, ultimately using speed boats to smuggle the contraband into India.
- In a recent operation, the Indian Navy, in coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau, apprehended a suspicious dhow near the International Maritime Boundary Line off Gujarat, carrying almost 3,300 kg of contraband.
