The Indian navy has commissioned a crucial naval base, INS Jatayu, on the Lakshadweep Island, Minicoy. This development comes as Maldives, under Muizzu, has signed a new military agreement with China.
How is INS Jatayu related to these regional developments, and what do we know about INS Jatayu? How is it related to India’s defense preparations against the recent Maldives-China defense pact? The base on Minicoy, akin to the name of the mythical creature Jatayu in the Ramayana who tried to stop the abduction of Sita, will act as the eyes and ears for India, according to a source in the defense and security establishment.
Discussing the significance of INS Jatayu, it will serve as India’s eyes and ears in the region. Located just 130km from Thuraakunu, the northernmost island of Maldives, the base will enable India to keep a better watch on China-Maldives activities. Moreover, at a time when maritime terror, crime, and piracy are surging, INS Jatayu will add more muscle to the arms of the Indian Navy in fighting the terror elements of the region. In the sidelines, the base will also serve as a rest place for Indian navy ships patrolling in the Indian Ocean.
Now, what is the Maldives-China defense pact? The defense pact includes China offering free non-lethal military equipment and training to Maldives, which, according to President Muizzu, will bolster the island nation’s autonomy and independence.
How is this pact going to affect India? Captain DK Sharma (retired) of the Indian Navy, in a BharatShakti.in report, says, “As Male is getting closer to the dragon, INS Jatayu sits at the north of the 9-degree channel through which 90 per cent of the world trade moves.” A similar observation made by Naval Officer-in-Charge (Lakshadweep) Captain Lovekesh Thakur stresses Maldives’ strategically important location in the Indian Ocean.
At a time when China is not leaving a single chance to get near to Maldives to gain an upper hand on India’s defense preparations, INS JATAYU will serve as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the maritime force in the Indian Ocean.
