Pranav Mathur, Pune
In order to improve its operational capability and reach in the Indian Ocean region, which poses several challenges, the Indian Navy plans to transform its temporary setup at Minicoy in the Lakshadweep Islands into a full-fledged naval base, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday. India will commission the Naval Detachment Minicoy as INS Jatayu on March 6th, along with Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar.
To officially open the INS Jatayu naval base on March 4-5, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Minicoy Island with senior naval officials while aboard the INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant carrier task forces, which will include roughly 15 warships.
According to one of the officials, the navy will be sending out a few of their assets to Minicoy Island, and will set their personnel there permanently, which was not the case earlier. This is being done to take full advantage of the geographical location of the base and to further the country’s maritime interests.
INS Jatayu is the second naval base, following INS Dweeprakshak, which is located in Kavaratti. Lakshadweep’s southernmost island, Minicoy, is located 215 nautical miles southwest of Kochi.
Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal stated that the event represents a significant turning point in the navy’s plan to gradually improve security measures at the strategically important Lakshadweep Islands.
By putting INS Jatayu into service, the Indian Navy will increase its presence in the Lakshadweep Islands and usher in a new era of capacity building and all-encompassing island territory development. It will also strengthen its operational surveillance, reach, and sustenance capabilities.
After Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s, visit to the Lakshadweep Islands, there was a feud on social media between India and the Maldives, which led to a lot of political debates. The Maldives’ new government asked India to remove its troops and even welcomed a Chinese research vessel, to which Sri Lanka had earlier denied access. In response, the Indian public boycotted travel of any kind to the nation.
The Indian Navy plans to use its aircraft carriers to host the first phase of the Combined Commanders Conference. The two flotillas will travel from Goa to Karwar, then to the Minicoy Islands, and finally to Kochi. The Commanders Conference’s second phase is scheduled for March 6-7.