Sri Vijaya Puram, October 12: The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) has reviewed emerging maritime security threats, the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean and the need for closer coordination among the armed forces as former commanders and senior military leaders discussed the tri-services command’s priorities for the next 25 years during its Silver Jubilee celebrations on Sunday.
The Strategic Leaders’ Conclave brought together former Commanders-in-Chief of the ANC and senior military leaders to assess developments since the command’s establishment and examine its future role in protecting India’s maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific.
According to the command, discussions covered the islands’ growing strategic significance, maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean Region and the ANC’s role in advancing national strategic priorities. The conclave also examined the command’s future planning and reaffirmed its vision of the archipelago as a strategic frontier and maritime centre of power.
Established to protect the strategically located island chain nearly 1,200 km from mainland India, the ANC is the country’s only tri-services command, bringing the Army, Navy and Air Force under a unified structure.
The islands’ proximity to the Strait of Malacca, which links the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, adds to their strategic importance. The passage carries an estimated 35–40 per cent of global shipborne cargo, including oil and gas shipments from the Middle East. China routes nearly 80 per cent of its crude oil imports through the strait, placing the surrounding waters within the operating range of its military assets.
The archipelago comprises 836 islands, of which only 31 are inhabited, creating challenges for surveillance and defence across the dispersed territory. An official emphasised the need for sustained vigilance, coordination among the armed forces, intelligence sharing and regular interaction between services. The Indian Coast Guard also contributes to security along the islands’ coastline.
Beyond maritime defence, the command faces a range of responsibilities, including checking poaching, smuggling and trafficking from Bangladesh and Myanmar, protecting the fragile marine ecosystem and preventing insurgent groups from other countries from using the islands.
The ANC also conducts maritime search-and-rescue operations, evacuates sick or injured seafarers from merchant vessels and monitors pollution. These responsibilities operate alongside the islands’ dependence on mainland supplies for essential commodities and fuel.
Electricity generation relies on diesel transported from the mainland. A recent disruption to shipping, after a vessel carrying potatoes developed engine trouble and returned to Kolkata, also left the islands without potato supplies.
The conclave’s discussions come as India plans theatre commands, making the ANC’s experience in coordinating the three services relevant to wider military restructuring. The command used the silver jubilee gathering to assess its operational experience and outline priorities for the next quarter-century.
