CDS Gen Anil Chauhan with senior military officials during the inauguration of the resurfaced and upgraded runway at the IAF’s Car Nicobar air base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on FridaY. (Credit: A&N Command)
NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday inaugurated a major runway upgrade at the Indian Air Force’s Car Nicobar air base, a move aimed at strengthening India’s strategic reach over the vital Malacca Strait.Car Nicobar, which once bore the brunt of a deadly tsunami in 2004, gets the new modernised infrastructure that is designed to enhance the IAF’s rapid response capabilities and strengthen India’s military posture in the eastern Indian Ocean.The CDS, who arrived at Car Nicobar around 11.30 am, was welcomed by Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and several other senior officials on the island. Significant changes done as part of the base facelift include the expansion of the apron areas for smooth aircraft movement. The new facility will help the IAF carry out long-range firing exercises in a minimal time.Car Nicobar is a key part of the ANC 0— the country’s only tri-service command integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Positioned at the heart of the Bay of Bengal, it acts as a springboard for operations across the Indo-Pacific. Second, the base enables rapid deployment, humanitarian assistance and deterrence against threats to India’s maritime security. And most importantly, its strategic location near the Malacca Strait underscores its role in safeguarding some of the world’s busiest sea lanes.On Dec 26, 2004, Car Nicobar was shattered by a monstrous tsunami that claimed the lives of 122 air warriors and their family members. Hundreds of civilians were also killed. The coastline was redrawn, villages erased and haunting “ghost towns” left behind.The tsunami forced India to rethink its strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific. Car Nicobar, once a site of grief, was rebuilt as a hub of resilience. Today, the airbase hosts C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, elite paratroopers and advanced surveillance systems.
