Andaman and Nicobar to get new naval base on Tuesday

New Delhi: Aiming to keep an eye on maritime security around the Malacca Straits, a key sea trading route, the Indian Navy will inaugurate a new air base at the southern-most tip of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma will on Tuesday inaugurate the base called Baaz, Navy officials said in New Delhi today.

In April this year, the navy had upgraded its detachment in the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea to the level of a full-fledged base called the INS Dweeprakshak.

Over 25 percent of global trade passes through the Malacca Straits.

The strait connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the economies of China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are largely dependent on it.

The IAF had also landed its C-130J Super Hercules aircraft there last month after a non-stop 10-hour flight from Hindon air base near New Delhi.

With the commissioning of Baaz, Indian military aircraft would be able to spend more time in surveillance of not only the Straits of Malacca but also the Straits of Sunda and Lombok.

The commissioning of NAS Baaz on the southern tip of Great Nicobar island will be followed by an upgrade of NAS Shibpur at Diglipur on the northern tip of the Andamans.

PTI