Andaman and Nicobar Islands must become the Hawaii of India

The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is the ‘collision bulkhead’ of India. For the uninitiated, a small explanation will be in order. The construction of a ship is a complex task comprising a synthesis of every conceivable form of engineering. The hull, ie, the shell or body of the ship, is not just a container as one would expect in, say, a box of chocolates. It is an intricate network of metal plates placed transversely (across the ship) and longitudinally (along the length of the ship) to give adequate structural strength and enable the rest of the equipment, machinery and living spaces to be constructed within the ship’s structure.

The collision bulkhead is the first transverse bulkhead (wall) constructed at the bows (front) of the ship. It is a thick, strong and resilient metal plate that is designed to protect the ship in the event of a collision with another ship or structure at sea. It is, therefore, a prudent navigational practice of mariners to present a bow (head-on) aspect whenever a collision appears imminent. Minimising collision damage is, therefore, a function of shipbuilding as well as seafaring skill. Many experts have opined that the Titanic may have survived if it had hit the iceberg head-on. Now, what has this got to do with the ANC?

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located 700 nautical miles (1,296km) from mainland India, displaced south-eastwards in the direction of the Malacca Strait. Indira Point, at the southernmost tip of the island group, is just 365 nautical miles (675km) away from the mouth of the Malacca Strait that connects the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. It is one of the most strategic waterways for trade and oceanic movement in the region. This is also the region through which any maritime threat can build up during a conflict scenario. One of several future threat scenarios envisages a Chinese build-up of maritime forces through the eastern choke points of the Indo-Pacific, namely, the Malacca, Sunda, Lombok and the Ombai-Wetar straits.

This is where the ‘collision bulkhead’ metaphor will start making sense. The ANC should be India’s collision bulkhead and head-butt any hostile naval advance from the eastern choke points. Geography has blessed India with such an advanced strategic location. While there has been some effort in attempting to leverage this advantage, it has been a case of ‘too little, too slow’. The ANC was constituted in 2001 as a tri-service command with the intent to strengthen our forward-posturing. But 22 years later, there is not much to show for capability enhancement. There was also a review planned on the effectiveness of the ANC after ten years of its constitution which never took place.

The ANC is often touted as a successful experiment in the Indian quest for ‘jointness’. While this satisfies people who do not understand maritime and military strategy, not many in the informed circles are impressed. Whatever its composition and structure, the Command will fight the maritime battle. The focus of its development and staffing must reflect this reality and the service components must be tailored for this purpose. Capabilities for basing long-range maritime surveillance and for surface- as well as air-launched maritime strikes from the islands must be created in quick time. Maritime infrastructure should be enhanced to enable quick turnaround of operational units, forward basing of large warships and every other kind of maritime warfare capability. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands must become the Hawaii of India.

The theaterisation plan of the Indian armed forces affords the opportunity to leverage the offensive potential of the islands by creating additional infrastructure, assigning appropriate assets and revisiting the organogram of the ANC. In times to come, the ANC, as a vital component of the Maritime Theatre Command, must carry the battle to the adversary and repel any hostile ingress of maritime forces from the east.