Air Force building permanent Air base in Andaman Nicobar island

New Delhi: The defence ministry is planning permanent deployment of fighter aircraft in the Andaman Nicobar islands. Indian Air Force on the instructions of the ministry of defence has started working on the proposal to implement it on the ground as before any deployment lots of infrastructure up-gradation is required for run way of Campbell Bay (Great Nicobar) and Kar-Nicobar air base and also run way length is also being increased. Very soon a squadron of Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jet will be deployed there.

Official sources informed that these measures are taken to beef up the security arrangements in the eastern border of the country, Bay of Bengal and sea areas around Andaman Nicobar Island and it requires creation of a permanent base there with deployment of fighter jets. India was continuously worried over the activities of China in South China Sea and in the Indian Ocean. Chinese Navy could be found venturing very close to Malacca Strait cause potent threat to Indian territory as it is very close to some of the islands of Andaman Nicobar.

Defence experts have always been expressing their concern about this. A meeting of the ministry officials with the Union minister of state for Home Kiren Rijiju took place around 5-6 months back at his home in which this matter was elaborately discussed in the present of Navy and Air Force officials.

This is to mention here that there is a unified command of Army, Navy and Air Force in Andaman Nicobar islands which is taken care by all the three forces alternatively. It was being felt from very long that there was a need to create a permanent base in the region but due to lack of infrastructure that included small air strip and other core facilities the idea remained just and idea. But as soon as the matter reached to Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, she has not only approved the project but money was also sanctioned to built infrastructure. However, officially Air Force was not ready to commit anything on the issue issue.