The militarisation of the Coco Islands by Tatmadaw, combined with the wider Chinese developments occurring inland, could pose a security challenge to India

by Shibani Mehta

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have historically been a focal point in the strategic competition between India and China. Concerns over Chinese radar stations, airstrips, and naval bases on Myanmar’s Coco Islands prompted a visit by former Indian defence minister George Fernandes in 1999. China’s presence near North Andaman was perceived by New Delhi as an attempt to assert dominance over the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

Amid persisting tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India’s efforts to enhance infrastructure in critical areas are expanding from the land frontiers to the seas. Given the islands’ proximity to the Malacca Strait and China’s revitalised interest in the militarisation of the Coco Islands, these developments could heighten regional power competition and potentially shift the balance of power.

Military Infrastructure of The ANC

Established in 2001, the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is India’s first and so far only tri-service theatre command. It holds responsibility for securing the Bay of Bengal region and the waters extending to the six littoral states — Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. This strategic mandate was acknowledged by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in November 2003, emphasising India’s expanding frontiers beyond South Asia to encompass the Persian Gulf, the Straits of Malacca, Central Asia, Afghanistan, China, and Southeast Asia.

The ANC is arguably an important marker of India’s strategic presence in the Indian Ocean. Despite being labelled a “giant failure” unable to usher in more joint commands, the ANC has seen steady infrastructure development. According to the 2014 publication, “a naval air base was established at Campbell Bay and runway extensions were planned for another naval base at Shibpur. There were plans to build Operational Turn Round (OTR) bases at Campbell Bay, Dighpur, and Kamorta while facilities at Port Blair, including a second floating dock, are being upgraded.”

These initiatives, though welcome, did not address the lack of assets under the ANC. In 2019, reports surfaced of New Delhi’s ambitious 10-year infrastructure plan for the ANC, demonstrating a commitment to bolstering its capabilities.

Most recently, Delhi has come up with plans to significantly bolster surveillance infrastructure on one of the northern islands and to construct a permanent habitat for Indian troops. Latest news reports also mention phased extensions to key naval air station airstrips that aim to facilitate the landing of larger aircraft like P8Is and fighter jets, with corresponding enlargements of jetties to host bigger ships. Moreover, improvements to a vital road linking the islands’ northern and southern regions are underway to handle heightened traffic demands. Further infrastructure upgrades include enhancing the Indian Air Force station to house fighter squadrons for extended periods and constructing a container transhipment terminal with supporting infrastructure to augment traffic and operational capacities.

China Once Again

The islands are about a day’s sailing distance from the Malacca Strait, making them a crucial peg of India’s Act East Policy. Speaking in 2020 about the enhanced role of the islands in the policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Andaman and Nicobar’s role in India’s strong relations with East Asian countries and other countries associated with the sea is crucial and it is going to increase.” It is no surprise that a recent news report garnered attention as it revealed that the ANC is undergoing a major infrastructure upgrade. With cutting-edge surveillance technology, extended airstrips for military aircraft, and fortified naval facilities, the proposed infrastructure upgrade signals an assertion of India’s power in the Indian Ocean.

India’s plans to upgrade military infrastructure in the ANC coincide with a modification in Myanmar’s Coco Islands that indicates a boost in its maritime surveillance operations. This would be of particular concern to New Delhi, as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are about 50 kilometres away from the Coco Islands. The militarisation of the Coco Islands by Tatmadaw, combined with the wider Chinese developments occurring inland, could pose a security challenge to India.

The salience of Coco Islands and its utility as an air base to survey the Indian Ocean has continued to grow over the past decades. Satellite images taken in January 2023 indicate that Myanmar may soon be intending to conduct maritime surveillance operations. According to a report by a UK-based think-tank, there’s a newly lengthened runway and radar station, two new hangars, what appears to be an accommodation block, and a new causeway linking to a smaller island. While there is some evidence that Beijing is propelling the makeover, signs of construction have provoked concern that China – which Myanmar has grown increasingly dependent on after the February 2021 coup – could stand to gain from intelligence gathered there, either through espionage or intelligence-sharing.

Since the standoff with China began in May 2020, India has built various roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields and helipads in its border areas for military mobility and logistics support for deployed forces and for civilian use. Infrastructure development has also focussed on providing better living experience and improved facilities to soldiers, and conservation of modern weapons and equipment deployed in forward areas. However, the Indian government maintains that infrastructure development is not a contest with China but the “execution of its clear strategic vision”. For the latter, the existing infrastructure imbalance puts India at a disadvantage and is therefore preferred so that Beijing can continue to have an upper hand.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the primary conduit linking the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, represent a distinctive intersection of geography, security, and economics. The attention given to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands over the last few years is a refreshing break from New Delhi’s continued negligence of its maritime advantages. The accelerated push, though driven by the border tensions, has come along with better financial allocation and a sharper focus from the government. The Islands provide significant surveillance and monitoring advantages to India’s Navy, which can create more room for debate on deterrence policies. Developing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will give India new options and opportunities as it continues to grow its partnerships and respond to China.

Shibani Mehta is a senior research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India