Great Nicobar Project: India's Strategic Answer to China's Indian Ocean Expansion

The report in 'Global Order' mentioned that India has now introduced a new strategic variable into the Indo-Pacific chessboard from an advantageous geographic position that Chinese-built ports are unlikely to match.

"Spanning over more than 700 kms in length, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands comprise a 'natural aircraft carrier' in the mouth of the Malacca Strait as envisioned by military strategists. The Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost island of this chain, is located almost equidistant from Singapore, Port Klang, and Colombo. Vessels traversing the Strait of Malacca via the Six Degree Channel do so right under its tip," it stated.

"In terms of strategic importance, there is no better location in the whole Indian Ocean for a state looking to observe and, in certain circumstances, affect traffic at one of the world's most strategically important waterways. This position has been in the hands of India ever since its independence. However, for the greater part of that time, it has served as little more than an outpost," it added.

The report noted that to fully grasp the significance of this project, it must be viewed in the context of China's sustained efforts over the past three decades, cultivating what Western analysts have described as the "string of pearls".

"A web of port projects, logistics facilities, and relationships extending from the South China Sea across the Indian Ocean and into the Persian Gulf. Simply put, if the Malacca Strait represents a vulnerability, create connections and logistics networks to bypass it. Gwadar in Pakistan offers China an alternative exit point to the Arabian Sea that bypasses Malacca. The Kyaukphyu area in Myanmar, linked to China by pipelines, performs an equivalent role through the Bay of Bengal. There is Hambantota in Sri Lanka, which serves as a staging point for the central Indian Ocean," it mentioned.

Emphasising that China cannot replicate the strategic location of Great Nicobar, the report said that Beijing constructs artificial islands in the South China Sea --- often triggering geopolitical tensions - due to the absence of natural geography at the critical junctures. By contrast, it said India has been naturally endowed with such a geographic advantage.

"A functional Indian base on Great Nicobar, with all its equipment, like the Andaman and Nicobar Command, having a precision approach radar, underwater surveillance system, and naval communications network in place, will mean that each Chinese ship traversing the Six Degree Channel will do so within the reach of India's monitoring network. In case of any political tension, this is the most significant leverage one could possibly have," the report highlighted.

- IANS