On March 6, Naval Detachment Minicoy was commissioned as INS Jatayu, an upgraded naval base. This the second naval base in Lakshadweep after INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti.
Key points
- It is an important milestone in the Indian Navy’s resolve to incrementally augment security infrastructure at the strategic Lakshadweep Islands.
- While India has had a naval detachment in Minicoy since the 1980s, INS Jatayu will effectively be the country’s second naval base in Lakshadweep.
- The Navy’s first base on the islands, INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti, was commissioned in 2012.
- The existing Naval Detachment Minicoy, which is under the operational command of the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Lakshadweep), was commissioned as INS Jatayu.
- Minicoy is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep and straddles the vital Sealines of Communication.
- A naval detachment has administrative, logistics, and medical facilities.
- With the commissioning of INS Jatayu, the Indian Navy will add to its strength on the western seaboard.
- The proposed airfield will allow operations for a range of aircraft, including P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft and fighter jets, and extend the Navy’s reach and operational surveillance capabilities at a time when India is seeking to counter the growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean Region.
