Indian Navy To Commission INS Jatayu Naval Base in Minicoy Islands on March 6; Details Here

The Indian Navy is all set to commission a new base, INS Jatayu in the Minicoy Islands of Lakshadweep, on March 6.

India’s second naval base will strengthen its foothold in the Lakshadweep islands, along with extending operational surveillance, reach, and sustenance. It will also usher in a new era of capacity building and comprehensive development of the island territories.

It will be commissioned in the presence of Adm R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff. The addition will mark an important milestone in the Navy’s resolve to incrementally augment security infrastructure at the strategically important Lakshadweep Islands.

Naval Detachment Minicoy was established in the early 1980s under the operational command of the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Lakshadweep). Minicoy, the southernmost island in Lakshadweep, straddles the vital sea lines of communication (SLOCs).

Basing an independent naval unit with requisite infrastructure and resources will enhance the overall operational capability of the Indian Navy in the islands.

The base will enhance the operational reach and facilitate the Indian Navy’s operational effort towards anti-piracy and anti-narcotics operations in the western Arabian Sea.

It will also augment the Indian Navy’s capability as the first responder in the region and augment connectivity with the mainland. The establishment of a naval base is in line with the government of India’s focus on the comprehensive development of islands.

Meanwhile, the coast of Kochi is all set to witness the pinnacle of airborne supremacy of the Indian Navy next week when it inducts the aerial marvel, the MH 60R helicopter into its fleet, bolstering the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will commission the newly inducted MH 60R Seahawk multi-role helicopter at the INS Garuda on March 6, Navy officials said.

The squadron will be commissioned in the Indian Navy as INAS 334, under the Command of Captain M Abhisheik Ram. The Indian government signed a deal with the United States of America in February 2020, to acquire 24 fourth-generation MH 60R helicopters. Six of them have been delivered to the Indian Navy so far.

The MH 60R is also capable of firing torpedoes, missiles, and advanced precision kill weapon system rockets. The self-protection suite on the helicopter comprises Chaff and Infrared Flares, which can be deployed automatically upon detection of a threat, Lieutenant Commandant Aneesh Ayarotil, one of the trained pilots of MH 60R said.

(with PTI inputs)