Context
The government has decided to develop a new civil-military airport under the Great Nicobar Project, rather than expanding the existing naval air station at INS Baaz. This move is expected to strengthen connectivity and support the island’s long-term strategic and economic development.
About INS Baaz
- INS Baaz is a naval air station situated near Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Commissioned on 31 July 2012, it was the first air station established in the Nicobar Islands.
- It operates under the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), India’s only integrated tri-services command.
- As the southernmost air station of the Indian Armed Forces, it strengthens India’s strategic presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Its location near the Strait of Malacca and the Six Degree Channel provides a strategic advantage for monitoring vital maritime routes.
- The station plays an important role in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations across the Indian Ocean.
- It serves as a base for Dornier Do 228 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and is also capable of operating C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft.
- The airfield has a 3,500-foot (1,100 m) runway, which is planned to be extended to support the operation of heavier aircraft.
