The Indian naval bases INS Baaz and INS Kohassa, located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are awaiting approvals for extension. The islands occupy a uniquely strategic position in India’s maritime geography, often described as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” due to their ability to project power deep into the eastern Indian Ocean. Sitting close to key global sea lanes, the archipelago overlooks the Strait of Malacca and the Ten Degree Channel, two of the most important maritime chokepoints in the world.
The Strait of Malacca alone is a critical passage through which a major share of global trade flows, including a significant portion of global energy shipments bound for East Asia. Strategic assessments widely suggest that around 60% of global maritime trade moves through the wider Indo-Pacific maritime corridor connected to these chokepoints. The islands sit approximately 40 nautical miles from key shipping routes, giving India continuous surveillance over one of the busiest maritime highways in the world.
This geographic advantage is reinforced by extreme proximity to Southeast Asia. The southernmost point of India, Indira Point on Great Nicobar Island, lies only about 150 kilometres from Indonesia, while being roughly 1,200 kilometres from the Indian mainland. This makes the islands a forward-deployed strategic outpost at the edge of Southeast Asia, enabling India to operate directly from the Indo-Pacific maritime frontier. The structured militarization of this region formally began in 2001 with the establishment of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC). It remains India’s only integrated tri-service command, combining the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force under a single unified commander. This structure is intended to remove inter-service coordination delays and enable rapid joint operational response. The ANC functions as the eyes and ears of the Bay of Bengal and eastern Indian Ocean region, maintaining continuous maritime domain awareness across vast sea lanes.
Over time, the ANC has developed into a surveillance hub. It relies on modern radar networks and long-range maritime reconnaissance platforms such as the Boeing P-8I Poseidon aircraft. These aircraft are capable of tracking submarines, surface vessels, and maritime activity across thousands of kilometres, significantly extending India’s monitoring capacity deep into the eastern Indian Ocean and toward the approaches of the Strait of Malacca. A major operational milestone came in 2012 with the commissioning of INS Baaz at Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar Island. This remains India’s southernmost air station and a critical forward sentinel overlooking the eastern Indian Ocean. At present, INS Baaz operates with a runway of approximately 3,000 feet, which restricts operations to smaller aircraft such as the Dornier 228 and transport aircraft like the C-130J Super Hercules. Despite its limitations, its strategic location makes it a key observation and operational point for monitoring maritime traffic approaching the Malacca Strait.
In parallel, INS Kohassa was developed in North Andaman to strengthen radar coverage and surveillance capability over the northern Bay of Bengal. Together, INS Baaz and INS Kohassa form part of a layered maritime monitoring network that enhances India’s ability to detect and track naval movements across the eastern Indian Ocean approaches. These developments are closely aligned with India’s Act East policy, which seeks to deepen strategic and economic engagement with Southeast Asia. The positioning of military infrastructure in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands enables India to extend its operational reach toward Southeast Asia, strengthening deterrence capability and enhancing maritime partnerships with ASEAN countries.
A long-standing proposal that has been under consideration to upgrade INS Baaz by extending its runway to approximately 9,000–10,000 feet is being advanced. This would allow advanced maritime patrol aircraft such as the P-8I Poseidon to operate directly from Great Nicobar Island. It would also enable deployment of frontline fighter aircraft, including the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and naval Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29K, significantly increasing India’s airpower projection near the Strait of Malacca. Naval variants of the Rafale can be expected to join the forces there in the future.
According to strategic estimates cited in defence discussions, the overall expansion and associated infrastructure development are valued at approximately ₹15,000 crore (around $1.6 billion), with initial operational capabilities projected around 2029, as indicated by Admiral D. K. Joshi. However, despite its strategic importance, the expansion of INS Baaz and related infrastructure, such as a proposed naval jetty at Campbell Bay, had been delayed in the past. Reports indicate that the projects had been stalled for several years due to pending land acquisition approvals and regulatory clearances.
At a broader infrastructure level, India has launched the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, valued at approximately ₹81,000 crore ($8.58 billion). The centerpiece of this initiative is the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay. While primarily a commercial port, the project is inherently dual-use in nature, designed to support both global maritime trade and India’s strategic logistical requirements. The ICTT is intended to compete with major regional hubs such as Singapore and Colombo, strengthening India’s role in global shipping networks, as highlighted by The Business Standard.
Alongside this, India has initiated development of a second airfield at Chingen on Great Nicobar Island. This greenfield airport project, managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), is estimated to cost around ₹8,573 crore. It is designed for dual-use operations, supporting civilian aviation, naval aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and Indian Air Force operations. The presence of two airfields would provide tactical redundancy and enhance surveillance coverage over the Indian Ocean Region. It is also intended to support tourism-driven economic development.
Geographically, Great Nicobar lies approximately 150 kilometres northwest of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, placing it near the entrance to the Strait of Malacca. This proximity allows India to monitor one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The development of an integrated military and commercial infrastructure is intended to transform the island into a forward-deployed maritime and logistics hub, reflecting India’s ambition to evolve into a primary security provider in the Indo-Pacific. This strategic interpretation has been highlighted in reporting by The Tribune.
On the western maritime front, India has simultaneously strengthened its presence in the Lakshadweep archipelago to secure sea lanes originating from the Persian Gulf. The expansion of INS Jatayu, on Minicoy Island, has enhanced surveillance over the Eight Degree Channel, a key maritime route near the Maldives. This enables monitoring of regional naval activity and shipping movements in the western Indian Ocean. Further strengthening this western maritime architecture, India operationalised a naval detachment on Bitra Island in 2026, extending surveillance coverage across the northern Lakshadweep chain. In addition, the deployment of MH-60R Seahawk helicopters has significantly enhanced anti-submarine warfare capability. These helicopters are designed for rapid-response hunter-killer missions, enabling detection and neutralisation of underwater threats in the Arabian Sea, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Together, these eastern and western island developments reflect a comprehensive maritime surveillance strategy. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands serve as India’s forward surveillance and power projection hub in the Indo-Pacific, while Lakshadweep strengthens defensive depth in the Arabian Sea. This dual-island architecture enables India to monitor both eastern and western maritime approaches.
Verification Note: The information in this report has been compiled from multiple credible sources and cross-checked for consistency. Data and reports have been used to corroborate events where possible. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, access limitations may prevent independent verification of all details.
Monjuba T Bhuiyan is a Finance student at North South University (NSU), currently working as a Strategic & Security Reporting Fellow at the Bangladesh Defence Journal, where she focuses on writing about the intersection of economics, security, and geopolitics. Her analysis emphasizes structure over noise, context over headlines, and strategy over spectacle.