Facts to know about INS Jatayu, India's second Naval base in Lakshwadeep

INS Dweeprakshak was the first Naval Base to be commissioned in Lakshwadeep's Kavaratti, in 2012. Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar will be present during the commissioning of the Naval Detachment Minicoy in the island region which is of much strategic importance to India.

With an aim to bolster operational steadfastness and security along maritime routes, the Indian Navy is set to commission the INS Jatayu in Lakshadweep. Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar will be present during the commissioning of the Naval Detachment Minicoy in the island region which is of much strategic importance to India.

The INS Dweeprakshak was the first Naval Base to be commissioned in Lakshwadeep's Kavaratti, in 2012. According to a press release, the new base INS Jatayu will be developed to improve the Navy's operational reach in the island region. The base will help the Navy in maintaining vigil over anti-narcotics and anti-piracy activities in the western Arabian Sea while being the first responder in the region.

The Indian Express reported that an airfield will be constructed along with housing infrastructure supported with personnel, which will help upgrade the INS Jatayu Naval Detachment Minicoy. Per the Indian Navy, a naval detachment comprises of all the logistical and medical facilities along with administrative assistance to guide the operations at the base.

Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 35 islands nestled in the Laccadive Sea around 200 km off the coast of Kerala. The island region is the smallest Union Territory of India with a population of nearly 64,000 people who occupy 10 of the 35 islands, while thriving on a landmass of just 32 sq km.

With the commissioning of the INS Jatayu, the Indian Navy will strengthen its foothold in the Lakshadweep islands and along with extending operational surveillance, reach and sustenance, it will usher in a new era of capacity building and comprehensive development of the island territories.

According to the release by Indian Navy, "Naval Detachment Minicoy was set up in early 1980s under the operational command of Naval Officer-in-Charge (Lakshadweep). Minicoy is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep which straddles the vital Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs)."

The development also comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi remotely inaugurated an airstrip and a jetty New Delhi built at Agaléga Island in Mauritius and India’s quest for a strategic edge against China in the Indian Ocean region got a fillip.