PORTBLAIR: Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh visited INS Baaz on Friday, an Indian navy air station on Great Nicobar Island that is part of the joint services Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Indian Armed Forces, source said. He interacted with the troops there while being accompanied by Lieutenant General Ajai Singh AVSM, the commanding officer of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN).

Given the expanding role of China in the Indian Ocean region, Singh's visit and his interactions with the troops are significant. The Strait of Malacca, which is one of the most crucial maritime routes in the world from an economic and strategic standpoint, and through which the majority of Chinese imports travel, is visible from INS Baaz, according to the sources.

The Six Degree canal between the Indonesian island of Sumatra and Great Nicobar is also visible from INS Baaz, a full-fledged forward operating post of the Indian Naval Air Arm.

Campbell Bay is the nation's watchtower over the Strait of Malacca, which connects key economies including China, Japan, the Middle East, and South Korea and is the shortest maritime path between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Singh was accustomed to the geography of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' southern group. Later, he went to Indira Point, which is the nation's southernmost point. According to the sources, after visiting INS Baaz, he also visited the Air Force base in Car Nicobar.

He had arrived in Port Blair on Thursday to assess the Andaman and Nicobar Command's operational readiness (ANC). He brought up the border standoff with China in his speech to the defence officers and jawans, and he praised the valour of Indian soldiers from Galwan in Ladakh to Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh.

n order to gain a firsthand account of the overall operational situation and military surveillance, Singh met at a high level with Lt Gen Ajai Singh, the 16th Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), during his two-day tour.

He also went to the Joint Operations Centre (JOC), the hub for coordinated planning of surveillance, operation execution, and logistical assistance, which is run by the ANC.

To improve the ANC's ability to counter any maritime attack, there are proposals to extend the runways at Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay, and Shibpur in North Andaman.

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