With China’s unprecedented rise and belligerence, global geostrategic action has begun to shift from the South China Sea (SCS) to the larger Indo-Pacific region.
The US already has a huge air asset presence at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, is the largest U.S. military installation in the Asia-Pacific region and the largest wing in the US Air Force (USAF).
Both are Island territories. On 18 March 2016, the United States and the Philippines signed a deal to allow US forces to use five bases in the country, including Antonio Bautista Air Base, to counter Chinese deployments in the Spratly Islands.
However, there are other Island airfields in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) that can greatly impact operations in SCS and north-eastern IOR. These are Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australian external territory), INS Baaz at Campbell Bay, and the IAF airbase at Car Nicobar (Great Nicobar, India).
While Diego Garcia is a well-established US/UK joint military base housing US bomber aircraft, the others are strategic locations with runways and have great potential for becoming major military airbases. These airbases are territories of QUAD nations which are working to contain China’s aggressive designs. It is thus interesting to steady them.
Diego Garcia Military Base Evolves
Archipelago: Chagos Archipelago
Diego Garcia is located in the northern half of the Indian Ocean, around 7 degrees south of the Equator, south of Maldives. The Island has an area of 30 sq. km. It is administered by the United Kingdom but claimed by Mauritius.
Diego Garcia and the rest of the Chagos islands were uninhabited until the late 18th century. Diego Garcia became a colony of the UK after the Napoleonic Wars as part of the Treaty of Paris (1814), and from 1814 to 1965, it was administered from Mauritius. It is often referred to as “Fantasy Island” for its seclusion.
INS Baaz naval station was inaugurated on 31 July 2012. It is a full-fledged “forward operating base” of the Indian Navy. It overlooks the six-degree Channel, one of the most crucial shipping lanes in the world, a vital choke point. It will soon become India’s eye over the Malacca Strait and the Bay of Bengal. There is a 1,050m (3,445 ft) asphalt runway.
The Naval Air Station provides requisite logistic, communication, and administrative support for various aircraft undertaking surveillance, patrolling missions, and maritime air operations. The strategically located INS Baaz will enable India to extend its reach in the eastern Indian Ocean region.
Currently, only the Dornier 228 aircraft and some helicopters operate here regularly. The IAF C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft can also operate. Plans are underway to extend the runway to 10,000 feet to accommodate the Indian Navy’s Boeing P8i Poseidon surveillance aircraft with anti-submarine capabilities.
A separate international airport and harbor with a cargo terminal are also planned for Campbell Bay. Land acquisition is underway.
Way Ahead
India formed the integrated tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) in 2001. It overlooks the critical trade routes and choke points through which over 94,000 merchant ships cross every year, carrying the world’s 40 percent freight trade to and from China, South Korea, and Japan.
China has militarized reclaimed tiny islets in SCS and created major disputes with many ASEAN neighbors. China has also put into question the freedom of seas and navigation.
Australia is working towards expanding the Cocos Islands. India has been working on expanding military air and naval facilities in the Bay of Bengal. The IAF airbase at Car Nicobar is being upgraded to hold fighter squadrons.
The runway at INS Kohassa, Shibpur, North Andaman Island, will one day have new ammunition dumps and capacity upgrades for fighter jets and bigger planes like long-range maritime reconnaissance Boeing P-8I and anti-submarine aircraft.
INS Baaz at Campbell Bay will initially get a runway extension from 3000 to 6,000 feet, later to 10,000 feet. The IAF already maintains air defenses, fielding short and medium-range SAMs under ANC. The army’s single brigade is planned to be increased by deploying a division-size force (about 15,000 troops) under ANC.
The Indian Navy will increase berthing facilities for ships and submarines. A proposal to develop Lakshadweep islands with longer runways is also being considered.
