Amid Chinese forays into Indian Ocean, Rajnath visits Andaman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Defence minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to the strategic military command at the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago beginning Thursday assumes a greater significance amid increasing Chinese forays into the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The defence minister’s visit to the islands is not only aimed at providing a strategic signalling, given the proximity of these far-flung islands to the Indo-Pacific, but also at boosting the morale of the troops deployed at the remote islands, said the ministry.

The military command at the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago helps India keep a close watch on major choke points or the sea lines of communication (SLOC) in the Bay of Bengal — the Malacca Strait, Sunda Strait and the Ombai-Wetar Straits — from where most of the world’s shipping trade passes through. Established in 2001, the 21-year-old military command is an Integrated Theatre Command — a military reform under way at the national level at present.

In his two-day, maiden visit as defence minister to the headquarters of the only integrated quad-services command of the country in Port Blair, Singh reviewed operational preparedness of Andaman & Nicobar Command and infrastructure development at the islands.

He also visited the ANC Joint Operations Centre (JOC), also referred to as the nerve centre for integrated planning for surveillance, conduct of operations and logistic support, and interacted with the troops deployed at the islands.

On Friday, Singh will visit Indira Point at Campbell Bay — the southernmost tip of the Great Nicobar Islands — which is separated from Indonesia by the 163-km wide Six Degree channel through which all shipping traffic from the Malacca strait to the West passes. It is estimated that this includes the majority of Chinese shipping, making it a crucial strategic point for India.

The Campbell Bay airfield helps India in carrying out frequent surveillance operations across the Indian Ocean. It is also slated to become a major trans-shipment hub for India and neighbouring countries.

The defence minister also reviewed a Quad-Service Guard of Honour and visited Sankalp Smarak, the location of Netaji’s historic arrival on December 29, 1943, the ministry statement said. (The Indian Express)