Defence Minister Visits Naval Air Station INS Baaz In Andamans
According to Press Trust of India, which cited unnamed defence sources, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited INS Baaz on Friday. This Indian naval air station is part of the joint services Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Indian Armed Forces and is located at Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar Island.
He interacted with the troops there while being accompanied by Lieutenant General Ajai Singh AVSM, the commanding officer of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN). Given the expanding role of China in the Indian Ocean region, Mr. Singh’s visit and interactions with the troops are significant.
The Strait of Malacca, one of the most crucial maritime routes in the world from an economic and strategic standpoint, is visible from INS Baaz and is the sea route via which the majority of Chinese imports transit, according to the sources.
The Six Degree canal between the Indonesian island of Sumatra and Great Nicobar is also visible from INS Baaz, a full-fledged forward operating post of the Indian Naval Air Arm.
The Strait of Malacca, which connects major economies including China, Japan, the Middle East, and South Korea, is the shortest shipping path between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and Campbell Bay is the nation’s eye over it.
The landscape of the southern group of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was familiar to Mr. Singh. Later, he went to Indira Point, which is the nation’s southernmost point. According to the sources, after visiting INS Baaz, he also visited the Air Force base in Car Nicobar.
He landed in Port Blair on Thursday to assess the Andaman and Nicobar Command’s operational readiness (ANC). He brought up the border standoff with China in his speech to the defence officers and jawans, and he praised the valour of Indian soldiers from Galwan in Ladakh to Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh.
In order to acquire a firsthand account of the general operational situation and military surveillance during his two-day tour, Mr. Singh met with Lt Gen Ajai Singh, the 16th Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), at a high level.
The ANC, which was founded roughly 21 years ago, is the Indian Armed Forces’ first tri-service theatre command and is situated in Port Blair. According to the defence sources, it is under CINCAN’s purview to foster service cohesion and synergy while safeguarding national interests in the Andaman and Nicobar region.
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