Indian Navy plans to strengthen strategic bases in east and west
20 May 2013 12:57 AM GMT
Indian Navy is planning to set up a chain of ‘forward operating strategic bases,’ besides strengthening bases in the eastern and western seaboards. The INS Baaz at Campbell Bay, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in the east, boasts of a 3,500 feet runway for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts; the crucial Malacca Straits being the primary sea lane of communication, with the other two straits being, Sunda and Lombok.
This was discussed at the naval commanders’ conference held last week here in New Delhi.
While the Malacca Straits is between the Malayan peninsula and the Indonesian archipelago, the Sunda and the Lombok Straits are between Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra; and Java and Bali respectively.
The Indian Navy’s primacy in the area is being increasingly enhanced as more and more naval assets are being deployed, and naval planners increasingly actualise what is arguably the greatest asset of all, the ‘stationary aircraft carrier,’ in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In the west coast of the country, Goa being the station of INAS Hansa, is being treated as staging post of the naval air arm, newly bolstered by the induction of the first squadron of MiG-29Ks.
They will remain at the base till INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov) aircraft carrier is commissioned by the end of the year.
As the naval air arm becomes increasingly important by the induction of the advanced MiGs and ISR aircrafts like Poseidon 8I, first of which have been handed over by Boeing in the last fortnight, the capability to police the Indian Ocean Region is becoming a reality. The P8Is will be based at Arrackomnam naval base in Kerala.
The naval conference also took note of the chain of coastal radars becoming operational, where the various stakeholders of coastal security are now being able to function ‘seamlessly and in harmony.’
This was discussed at the naval commanders’ conference held last week here in New Delhi.
While the Malacca Straits is between the Malayan peninsula and the Indonesian archipelago, the Sunda and the Lombok Straits are between Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra; and Java and Bali respectively.
The Indian Navy’s primacy in the area is being increasingly enhanced as more and more naval assets are being deployed, and naval planners increasingly actualise what is arguably the greatest asset of all, the ‘stationary aircraft carrier,’ in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In the west coast of the country, Goa being the station of INAS Hansa, is being treated as staging post of the naval air arm, newly bolstered by the induction of the first squadron of MiG-29Ks.
They will remain at the base till INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov) aircraft carrier is commissioned by the end of the year.
As the naval air arm becomes increasingly important by the induction of the advanced MiGs and ISR aircrafts like Poseidon 8I, first of which have been handed over by Boeing in the last fortnight, the capability to police the Indian Ocean Region is becoming a reality. The P8Is will be based at Arrackomnam naval base in Kerala.
The naval conference also took note of the chain of coastal radars becoming operational, where the various stakeholders of coastal security are now being able to function ‘seamlessly and in harmony.’
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