CISF TO BEGIN SEA-PATROLLING IN ANDAMAN

Port Blair, 14th October/- Operating since the year 2002, the islands' first Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit wrapped up the first Inter-personal Meet organised for its personnel at the newly established Sports Club at the Veer Savarkar Airport, here this evening. Organised with the vision of improving coordination between the force's amiable personnel and those of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and providing essential recreational facilities to them, the meet came to a close with the final matches of various Badminton events held today.

The chief organiser of the Meet, CISF's mercurial Deputy Commandant, Dharamveer Yadav informed that the AAI has benignly assured them of equipping the indoor recreation and sports facility for their benefit by providing rubberised flooring and other requisite materials soon so that indoor sports events like badminton, table-tennis and carom can be held on a regular basis in a bid to boost the level of fitness and the performance output of the force's personnel. He further informed that a bigger unit of the CISF, with about 120 odd personnel is expected to begin operating in about a month's time at the islands' major harbours. 

This has come up as a major boost to the added security requirements at the principal harbour area around the city of Port Blair, wherein the administration is gearing up fast to effect various futuristic tourism developmental plans and projects. This unit, he said, would carry out regular patrolling in the port waters and provide much-needed security surveilance to the harbours of Haddo, Chatham and Phoenix Bay in coordination with the Port Management Board (PMB).

The inaugural Badminton tournament that began on the eighth of this month, had ten partcipants in the singles and five teams partaking in the doubles event. Constable C B Singh won the singles final match defeating the runners up, Sub Inspector, Sunil Kumar, while the duo got going together electrically to defeat the opposite team of Constable P V Samrat and Constable Manoj K M in the doubles event held today at the airport's Sports Club. The Airport Director (AAI), Mr. Manoj Gangal, Commander Goyal of the Indian Navy and the Deputy Commandant, CISF, Port Blair, Mr. Dharamveer Yadav gave away the trophies to the winners and the runners up participants.

INDIAN NAVY ADDS 'EYES' AND 'EARS' IN THE BAY

Navy Day

 

The seas around us are highways of trade and energy supplies and need to be safeguarded at all times to sustain the country’s economic progress. The Indian Navy is playing a stellar role in keeping these highways around us secure.

 

INS Virat, the mighty aircraft carrier

 

The Navy has also responded in a prompt and professional manner to the challenges brought up by the prevailing global security environment. The roles and responsibilities of the Navy are only going to become even more important to the nation’s security and well-being, as the complex geo-strategic landscape of the 21^st century unfolds.

 

Every year, my dear friends, 4th December is celebrated as the Navy Day to commemorate the Indian Navy’s gallant action on 4^th December, 1971 during the Indo-Pak War. To mark this occasion, various activities are organized by the Andaman & Nicobar Command in the first week of December every year. The President of India, the Defence Minister and Chief of Naval Staff sent messages on this occasion.

 

This year too as a part of Navy Week celebrations, various activities were organized to increase awareness about the Indian Navy among the civilian population, as I have been writing about, every year.  There have been quite a few landmark accomplishments by our Navy during this year.

 

In a bid to deal befittingly with the complexities of the task of the Navy of ensuring maritime security at sea, along the coast and ashore, a Joint Operation Centre (Coastal Defence) has been set up at the Headquarters, Andaman & Nicobar Command in Port Blair, which is manned round-the-clock and has been operational since 19^th April, 2010.

 

FDN – 1, Indian Navy’s 1st Floating Dock at Port Blair

 

The JOC (CD) is under the charge of the Commander-in-Chief, Andaman & Nicobar Command who is also designated as the Commander-in-Chief (Coastal Defence). The JOC (CD) is working to a drawn up detailed plan for enhancing coastal security around the islands.

 

The Command is involved in an ongoing awareness program for local fishermen to train them to become additional ‘eyes’ and ‘ears’ at sea. The resultant Fishermen Watch Group has already begun yielding positive results. Regular coastal security exercises are being executed once every six months involving all maritime stakeholders of the region – the Marine Police, the Port Management Board, Customs, Forests, Fisheries to name a few.

 

The coastal defence initiatives by the Command have received an overwhelming response from the local administration, security agencies as well as the masses. The Fisheries Department has made it mandatory to for local fishermen to carry valid identity cards and e-registration of boats and biometrics of personnel is also underway. This has lent added relevance to the Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations carried out by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.

 

A communication issued to the media and general public during the Navy Week also enlightens that plans are well underway to establish surveillance sensors along the coastline in order to bring maximum areas under the electronic eye. A database of coastal features is also being compiled at the JOC (CD) which will then be reference with the Global Information System (GIS) for creating a potent decision support tool for planning multi-agency coordinated responses during a crisis.

 

 

In addition, the Indian Navy is continuing its regular Coordinated Patrols with friendly littorals like Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, which are invaluable learning tools for interoperability during crises/emergencies.

 

Another offshoot of the government directives on the Coastal Security – the Saagar Prahari Bal – is also being positioned at Port Blair in a phased manner. This cadre comprises trained manpower from the Indian Navy to provide sea-front protection of important installations (VAs and VPs) as well as to escort naval vessels in and out of harbour.

 

The Indian Navy has played a crucial role in maintaining peace and stability - both at the national and international levels. Despite various conventional and unconventional challenges, the officers and sailors have maintained peace, stability and prosperity on the seas around us. However, our Navy must adopt new technologies and operational practices to retain the cutting edge among the leading maritime forces of the world.

 

Eventually, it does sound reassuring to hear the perceptive Admiral Nirmal Verma, the Chief of Naval Staff say, “The Indian Navy today operates in an exceedingly changed strategic context. An uncertain and unpredictable security environment, as also natural calamities of increasing frequency magnifies the complexity of meeting the challenges at hand.”

 

The majestically brawny new aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya

 

He further says with notable poise, “With anticipated force accretions and inductions of newer and better hardware, the Navy’s blue and water capabilities continue to be the bedrock of our Navy’s operational, organizational and technological effectiveness. They not only make us proud of a glorious wake, but also hold the promise of a bright and vibrant future.”

 

“Shanno Varunah”

Jai Hind!!!

 

Images courtesy: http://indiannavy.nic.in

ANDAMAN - INDIA'S NATURAL AIRCRAFT CARRIER

Runways Every 100 Miles…

 

China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region appears to have injected new momentum in India’s efforts to fortify its farthest military outpost - the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Plans are afoot to upgrade airstrips to support fighter operations, induct 5,000 more troops and deploy additional Warships, senior officials of the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) are reported to have said.

 

INS Viraat at Port Blair

 

Myanmar’s Coco Islands, where the Chinese navy has reportedly set up a surveillance post, are barely 40 km from the Andamans’ northernmost tip, the Landfall Island.

 

New Delhi may not openly flag concerns about China’s strategic moves to squeeze India with its presence in Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but there is a growing realization that the Andamans hold the key to dominating a vital maritime zone.

 

 

Vice-Admiral D.K. Joshi, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), is reported to have said that the airstrips at Campbell Bay and Shibpur in the Diglipur region of North Andaman, were being extended from 3,200 feet to 12,000 feet to support all types of aircrafts, including fighters. The airstrips are being upgraded for night-flying operations too.

 

I recently came to know from a defence website, Bharat Rakshak that the ANC sources told Rahul Singh of Hindustan Times that the army was planning to beef up its brigade-level deployment (around 3,000 soldiers) with three more battalions and support units. An officer said, “There are plans to induct a mechanized infantry battalion, an artillery regiment and an infantry unit.”

 

The navy, too, is deploying more warships and patrol vessels in the region. Asked if the navy was concerned about the Chinese navy’s expansion in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the then navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said, “The navy’s plans are guided by what’s happening in the region… not just by what a particular country is doing.”

 

The Andamans are more than 1,200 km away from mainland India. A significant volume of China’s oil imports passes through Malacca Strait, about 350 km from these islands.

 

The ANC is also India's first tri-services command, which means it has under its wing, assets from all three wings of the armed forces, as also the Coast Guard. Its chief is drawn by rotation from the army, the navy and the air force.

 

The ANC crew in action during 2004 Tsunami

 

I, along with scores of other islanders of the territory, have always been highly appreciative of the ANC, which also includes an element from the Coast Guard, as it had played a stellar role in the wake of the devastating Dec 26, 2004 Tsunami that ravaged the islands by providing succor to its inhabitants and also to countries like Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives that too were badly affected.

 

As per the ongoing plans of the Indian defence think-tank, after Port Blair, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are now set to have full-length ‘all weather and all aircraft’ runways after every 100 miles.

 

“Every 100 miles or so you will find an airfield capable of operating all aircrafts (which could include commercial ones) in all-weather conditions,” the Commander-in-Chief of the Islands, Mr D.K. Joshi, is reported to have said.

 

At present, only Port Blair, the capital has a full-fledged runway capable of operating all kinds of aircraft but considering the height of a hill, the Joggers Park or “Chaandmaari” as the locals call it, on the eastern side, it’s a uni-directional airstrip. However, it’s planned to be made bi-directional soon.

 

The Uni-directional runway at Port Blair airport

 

The runways in Car Nicobar, Shibpur and Campbell Bay are also proposed to be upgraded into full-length runways.

 

Meanwhile, it’s in the air that the famous Taj Group is setting up a venture at the famous Havelock Island to boost tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, even as corporates are flocking with major investments. Tourism and other developmental activities are poised for high growth in the immediate future.

 

Also on the anvil is a container transshipment hub at Campbell Bay, for which feasibility study is in progress. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen as to how these runways will be operated and more importantly what will be the Logistical apparatus in place to sustain the same.

 

Admiral Gorshkov renamed “INS Vikramaditya” to join Indian Navy fleet by 2012

 

I reckon the proposed development of these runways must have come up keeping in mind the rising Air Force might in the East as also the Indonesian intentions of acquiring 180 Flankers. Also, the military establishment will work wonders towards boosting the economy of the islands. India has a pearl in the middle of the Indian Ocean... and we are finally realizing its true worth.

 

The bottom-line is – The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are precious and prized strategic assets for India. India's resource box and geographical location has it quite nicely geared up for Asian dominance and these pristine islands, besides being an enviable floating paradise for tourists from the world over, are a proud natural aircraft carrier of India. :-)

 

Stats: Bharat Rakshak

AIRBASES & RAIL LINES FOR ANDAMAN ISLANDS

 

With hundreds of uninhabited islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago making it vulnerable from the security perspective, India is planning to open more airbases in the islands.

 

The Indian Navy chief, Admiral Nirmal Verma said last month that India was planning to revamp the infrastructure in the 572 odd islands in the Bay of Bengal.

 

“The airstrip up north (Northern Andaman islands) needs to be refurbished. Even for smaller aircraft it is a tight fit,” Verma told PTI.

The airfield at Shibpur, Diglipur (North Andaman) is about 1,000 feet in length and is inadequate for smaller cargo aircraft like Dornier and AN-32. Currently, only helicopters are capable of conducting operations from the airfield.

More airfields and helipads will boost the surveillance and logistics capability of the Indian armed forces along the significant archipelago, located about 700 nautical miles away from the Indian mainland.

Senior officials say more airfields in the Andaman and Nicobar tri-service command are also in the offing.

Presently, there are airbases in Port Blair, Car Nicobar, and Campbell Bay. According to senior Indian Naval officers, plans are afoot to spread out air power in other islands like Katchal (Nicobar District) and Hut Bay (Little Andaman).

“We also intend to bring in night landing facility at the airbases,” Verma said.

The Indian Navy has recently inducted its amphibious vessel Landing Ship Tank (LST) in the Andaman and Nicobar command.

“We have inducted an LST and soon we will be inducting Operation Patrol Vehicles constructed at the Goa Shipyard Limited,” Verma said.

Andaman and Nicobar islands are significant for increasing surveillance in the Indonesian Strait and the Bay of Bengal. It would also help India extend its maritime power in South China Sea before the Chinese foreclose the option.

Coincidentally, in her annual budget speech, Ms Mamata Banerji, Minister for Railways in India proposed 114 socially desirable projects for updating the surveys and then to process through the Planning Commission. The proposed Port Blair-Diglipur line stands at serial No. 84 in the list of 114.

She said in her budget speech, “In my last budget speech, I had highlighted the need to take up socially desirable projects connecting backward areas. Many proposals for such connectivity have been pending for a long time. It is proposed to update the surveys for the following lines and thereafter these will be processed through Planning Commission for necessary approvals.”

Well, although this would be a good stride ahead in terms of the development of the serene island territory, whether the government goes about implementing these plans meticulously extending due consideration and caution to sensitively crucial issues such as environment, ecology, tribal and reserve forest issues etc., remains a big question mark…

Courtesy: PTI

NAVY DAY & THE ANDAMAN & NICOBAR COMMAND (ANC)

“NAVY DAY”

The Indian Navy is celebrating Navy Day today, the 4^th December, 2009 as a tribute to the valiant maritime operations taken by the Indian Navy during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. The Naval component of the Andaman & Nicobar Command is carrying out various events spread over a week also known as “Navy Week” beginning today. Intensified maritime surveillance and other operational tasks by the Navy in the Andaman Sea region have been the principal thrust of the Joint Andaman & Nicobar Command.

Navy Day is the anniversary of the daredevil attack on Pakistan’s only naval base at Karachi, in 1971. Besides, “the Indian Navy has made an enormous contribution to our Islands. From providing security to these Islands for over forty years to establishing lines of communication over the far reaches of these islands to specialized medical attention to its denizens when needed. The yeoman job rendered by the naval component of the Joint Command in relief and evacuation during the catastrophic Tsunami that struck the Islands on 26^th December, 2004, is an unforgettable service to the Islanders,” said Lt. Gen. (Retd) Bhopinder Singh, while greeting the Indian Navy.

Let me proudly share with you all, dear friends, on this momentous occasion, certain salient facts and figures about the historic establishment of the first ever Integrated Command in the country.

The First Integrated Command:

The location of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands confers great strategic advantage. Their economic and tourist potential also dictate a sound security presence. As India’s Easternmost Bastion, the ANC is charged with the responsibility for the defense of the A & N territories, its air space and waters. ANC is raised as India ‘Look East Policy’, of reaching out to the defense of India’s maritime neighbors and building ‘Bridges of friendship’.

The Andaman & Nicobar archipelago of over 572 islands & islets stretches like a necklace around the Andaman Sea. North to south, the chain extends over 720 kilometers. At its widest, its only 51 kilometers. Constituting approximately 8249 square Km of landmass, the islands have 1912 Km of coastline. The archipelago is at a distance of approximately 1200 Km from India’s Eastern seaboard and 450 Km from the Malay Peninsula. Myanmar’s Coco Islands towards the North are just 42 Km away and Aceh in Indonesia is 163 Km from the southernmost tip of Great Nicobar Island, which, in fact, is also India’s southernmost tip.

After the 1962 war, a need was felt to enhance military presence in these Islands. Consequently, INS Jarawa was commissioned at Port Blair on 15^th February, 1964. This was followed by the commissioning of INS Kardip at Kamorta on 28^th April, 1973. The establishment was renamed – Fortress A & N (FORTAN) in 1981with a Rear Admiral as the Fortress Commander. Utkrosh Air Station was commissioned on 11^th May, 1985. The Fortress Commander was upgraded to a three star appointment in 1987. FORTAN got a Tri-service character with the induction of 108 Mountain Brigade from Lekhabali (Arunachal Pradesh) on 15^th December, 1990 and the raising of 37 Wing at Car Nicobar on 16^th September, 1993. As regards, Coast Guard, the Regional Headquarters was amongst the first three Regional HQs that were set up after the enactment of the Coast Guard Act in 1978.

Further, the Government of India approved the establishment of the ANC as an Integrated Command on 11^th May, 2001. The directive from Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) on setting up of ANC was issued and the Command was raised on 8^th October, 2001, under the first Commander-in-Chief A & N (CINCAN), Vice Admiral Arun Prakash, AVSM (Ati Vishishta Seva Medal), VrC, and VSM. All components of the three services and Coast Guard located in the Islands were placed under the operational command of CINCAN.

^{Vice Admiral Arun Prakash with then Lt. Governor, Prof Ram Kapse and Lt Gen Aditya Singh}

^{Salute to the Indian Navy! JAI HIND!!!}

^{Data & figures courtesy: The Daily Telegrams}

NEW MILITARY HUB OF INDIA - ANDAMAN & NICOBAR

India Girding up its Loins

To counter the emergent Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean, the Government of India has planned to turn the Andaman & Nicobar Islands into a formidable military cantonment replete with Indian Air Force and Indian Navy bases.

Fighters aboard INS Virat at Port Blair after Tsunami

As per a meticulous master plan, the proposed Tri-Service Andaman & Nicobar Command will be put into action, as early as, by the end of 2009. If everything goes by the plan, these paradise islands could be India’s most formidable military outpost in about a decade from now.

By 2020, the magnificent coral islands will see a Nuclear Submarine base in South Andaman, a permanent Sukhoi-30 base at Car Nicobar, a permanent Tactical Aerial Recon base at Campbell Bay, a permanent Aircraft Carrier base and expansion of INS Kardip Advance Naval base in Nicobar.

India’s first floating dock at Port Blair

A dedicated 250 MW Nuclear Power Station on the Islands is also proposed to come up on the island territory, which is of great strategic importance for India. The facility will feed the enormous power requirements that the ambitious Island militarization program will ultimately demand.