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By Jayanta Gupta, TNN | 4 Sep, 2015, 09.46PM IST
PLAN ships snoop around Andaman islands, India contemplates deploying more assets in the area - The Economic Times
KOLKATA: With ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) snooping around the Andaman islands on routine basis, the ministry of defence is contemplating deploying more assets in the island chain in the days to come.
According to sources, the Andaman and Nicobar Command ( ANC) - the country's only strategic command comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force - have detected Chinese naval ships very close to India's territorial waters in the recent past. A report states that PLAN ships attempt to get close at least twice every three month
"They have been detected on every occasion and we have made it very clear to the Chinese that we are monitoring their movement. Though we have detection capabilities in the Andamans, we don't have assets that can work as a deterrent. Only landing craft and some patrol vessels of the Indian Navy are deployed in the islands. This is inadequate. There are no weapons platforms. There aren't any missiles on the islands that can be used against incoming ships or aircraft. This has to change," a senior officer from Delhi said.
It's not uncommon for Chinese naval vessels to get close to the 10 degree channel, which is a 150km-wide channel that separates the Andaman and Nicobar chain of islands. Officers feel that the Chinese may choose the Andamans for a sudden strike instead of the mainland. After all, the Chinese know that India has an upper hand for the first 7-8 days due to her advanced air assets if an attack is launched on the mainland.
Things would change after that due to attrition and other factors but no armed conflict between two nuclear powers like India and China is expected to last more than a week before the international community intervenes.
"The only place where the Chinese can strike without facing any real opposition, merely to bother India, is the Andamans. After all, our assets on the mainland can't remain at a top level of preparedness for an indefinite period every time a Chinese warship is detected close to the islands. Capabilities of the assets from the mainland will also be hampered by bad weather and other factors. The Chinese will also factor these in if they choose to strike. The Chinese presence on Coco Islands continues to remain a matter of concern. The length of runway there has been increased to 8,000 feet. When it becomes 10,000 feet, all kinds of aircraft can land there and we will have a full-fledged Chinese base some 30-odd miles from the Andamans," the officer added.
Vice Admiral Pradeep Kumar Chatterjee, commander in chief, ANC, refused to comment on these issues but told TOI that a lot is changing in the Andamans. According to him, a lot of infrastructure is being developed under his command at a speed never witnessed before. New jetties are being built and the Navy is getting one more Floating Dock. The Indian Air Force is also likely to base some assets at Car Nicobar.
"Things will change completely in the next five years. The islands will become completely fortified. Financial allocations have all been made. We are now waiting for a few environmental clearances. One has to realize that defence preparedness spurs economic activity. We have already started installing lights at the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair. Within some time, night landing can take place there. Airlines can also use the air force base at Car Nicobar as an alternative runway. In this way, tourist flow to the islands should increase. I also see no reason why airlines can't start operating international flights from Port Blair. We have even set up immigration facilities at Car Nicobar and have requested the civil administration to create accommodation there," Chatterjee said.
PLAN ships snoop around Andaman islands, India contemplates deploying more assets in the area - The Economic Times
KOLKATA: With ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) snooping around the Andaman islands on routine basis, the ministry of defence is contemplating deploying more assets in the island chain in the days to come.
According to sources, the Andaman and Nicobar Command ( ANC) - the country's only strategic command comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force - have detected Chinese naval ships very close to India's territorial waters in the recent past. A report states that PLAN ships attempt to get close at least twice every three month
"They have been detected on every occasion and we have made it very clear to the Chinese that we are monitoring their movement. Though we have detection capabilities in the Andamans, we don't have assets that can work as a deterrent. Only landing craft and some patrol vessels of the Indian Navy are deployed in the islands. This is inadequate. There are no weapons platforms. There aren't any missiles on the islands that can be used against incoming ships or aircraft. This has to change," a senior officer from Delhi said.
It's not uncommon for Chinese naval vessels to get close to the 10 degree channel, which is a 150km-wide channel that separates the Andaman and Nicobar chain of islands. Officers feel that the Chinese may choose the Andamans for a sudden strike instead of the mainland. After all, the Chinese know that India has an upper hand for the first 7-8 days due to her advanced air assets if an attack is launched on the mainland.
Things would change after that due to attrition and other factors but no armed conflict between two nuclear powers like India and China is expected to last more than a week before the international community intervenes.
"The only place where the Chinese can strike without facing any real opposition, merely to bother India, is the Andamans. After all, our assets on the mainland can't remain at a top level of preparedness for an indefinite period every time a Chinese warship is detected close to the islands. Capabilities of the assets from the mainland will also be hampered by bad weather and other factors. The Chinese will also factor these in if they choose to strike. The Chinese presence on Coco Islands continues to remain a matter of concern. The length of runway there has been increased to 8,000 feet. When it becomes 10,000 feet, all kinds of aircraft can land there and we will have a full-fledged Chinese base some 30-odd miles from the Andamans," the officer added.
Vice Admiral Pradeep Kumar Chatterjee, commander in chief, ANC, refused to comment on these issues but told TOI that a lot is changing in the Andamans. According to him, a lot of infrastructure is being developed under his command at a speed never witnessed before. New jetties are being built and the Navy is getting one more Floating Dock. The Indian Air Force is also likely to base some assets at Car Nicobar.
"Things will change completely in the next five years. The islands will become completely fortified. Financial allocations have all been made. We are now waiting for a few environmental clearances. One has to realize that defence preparedness spurs economic activity. We have already started installing lights at the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair. Within some time, night landing can take place there. Airlines can also use the air force base at Car Nicobar as an alternative runway. In this way, tourist flow to the islands should increase. I also see no reason why airlines can't start operating international flights from Port Blair. We have even set up immigration facilities at Car Nicobar and have requested the civil administration to create accommodation there," Chatterjee said.
