On 17th July 2020, Indian Navy conducted major Naval exercises in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands led by Sanjay Vatsayan, Chief Rear Admiral of Eastern naval fleet as a display of strategic intents against China amid the current military conflicts in the Northeastern borders in Ladakh.
Naval Exercise in Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
i.The exercise was conducted with warships and aircrafts from the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
ii.Poseidon-8I aircraft, advanced maritime patrol aircraft equipped with Harpoon Block-II missiles, MK-54 lightweight torpedoes, rockets and depth charges took part in the exercise from the INS Rajali naval air station in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu.
iii.Along with P-8I aircrafts, Indian warships including destroyers, frigates and submarines are also conducting exercises near A&N Islands dominating the Chinese critical sea lanes transporting its energy and other trades through Malacca strait.
Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC):
i.Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), is India’s only theatre command with all the assets and manpower of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
ii.The coast guard under the operational command can be used to counter the expanding footprint of China in Indian waters and to ensure the security of the sea lanes towards the Malacca Strait.
Quad Countries and exercises:
i.The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue also known as Quad is an informal strategic forum between the United States, India, Australia and Japan to build a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific waters against China.
ii.The forum is maintained by regular summits, exchange of information and military drills between member countries.
iii.Since 2015, Japan along with India and the United States has become the permanent member of the high voltage Malabar naval exercise.Australia and Singapore were the non-permanent members of Malabar Exercise .
iv.In June 2020, India and Japan conducted a minor exercise near the Malacca strait.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Karambir Singh
About Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
Lieutenant Governor– Devendra Kumar Joshi
Capital– Port Blair
Recent Related News:
i.Indian Navy commissions 7th ship of MK IV class Landing Craft Utility ‘IN LCU L57’ at Port Blair.
ii.Indian Navy made breathable PPE kit “NavRakshak” to provide comfort to healthcare workers working against COVID-19 pandemic.
