India News | Defence Minister Visits Joint Operations Centre in Andaman

Port Blair, Jan 5 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday visited the Andaman and Nicobar Command's Joint Operations Centre (JOC) here, which is the nerve centre for integrated planning for surveillance, the conduct of operations and logistic support.

His visit to JOC seems important considering China's growing interest in the Indian Ocean Region.

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Lt Gen Ajai Singh, Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), briefed the defence minister about the geo-strategic potential of the archipelago and the role the islands can play towards enhancing India's influence and support to military operations in the area.

He also highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), India's strategic vision for the Indian Ocean.

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Singh was also appraised of how Andaman and Nicobar Command has played a significant role in providing teeth to the Centre's Act East Policy by building ‘Bridges of Friendship' with India's maritime neighbours.

Earlier in the day, the union minister was received by the Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Admiral DK Joshi and the CINCAN.

Singh reviewed a Quad-Service Guard of Honour and visited ‘Sanklap Smarak', the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's historic arrival on the Island on December 29, 1943.

At the ‘Sanklap Smarak', the union minister paid homage to honour the sacrifices of soldiers of the Indian National Army.

In the evening, Singh addressed all ranks of Andaman and Nicobar Command and lauded their efforts in safeguarding the sovereignty of the area.

On his two-day visit, Singh will take stock of the overall operational situation including military surveillance at Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar Island where crucial naval air station INS Baaz is located.

INS Baaz is the southernmost air station of the Indian Armed Forces. It overlooks the Strait of Malacca - a crucial route as far as China's trade is concerned - as well as the Six Degree channel between Great Nicobar and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Sources said that the defence minister expressed his desire to personally visit INS Baaz on Friday.

The 750-km-long Andaman and Nicobar archipelago consists of a chain of 572 islands and it is located about 1200 km from mainland India, merely 40 km from Myanmar, 160 km from Indonesia and 550 km from Thailand.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)