India to build new military airfield in Andaman and Nicobar to counter China
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India will construct a new military airport in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at a cost of 150 billion rupees, or $1.6 billion, and extend the runways of two existing airstrips as part of a strategic buildup aimed at countering China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean.
The new airport will be built on Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost part of the archipelago, about 40 nautical miles from the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The project, located in an ecologically sensitive region, will also support tourism.
Approved by the federal cabinet, the project will be steered by the defence ministry, said Devendra Kumar Joshi, the top administrator of the island chain and a former chief of Indian naval forces. Speaking at the United Services Institution of India in New Delhi, he said the new airfield would have two runways capable of handling large military and civilian aircraft and that the first flights are expected to begin operations in around three years.
Roughly a third of global trade and much of China’s energy imports pass through the Strait of Malacca, making it a strategic focal point in the Indo-Pacific. Expanding infrastructure in the islands would strengthen India’s ability to monitor Chinese naval movements and protect undersea communication cables.
An installation on the northernmost islet will be refurbished and its runway extended. Two other airfields, including one in the island capital, Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly Port Blair, will also be upgraded to accommodate larger aircraft.