THE TIGER AND THE HAWK:
INDIA OPENS A NEW NAVAL BASE  OVERLOOKING THE MALACCA STRAIT

OFFICIAL US NAVY PHOTO by PO2 Gary Granger,JR  2011

Editor's Note 2/13/2015: This was the last new Indian naval shore station constructed outside of mainland India that we are aware of.  It is, to the best of our ability to assess such things at a distance, now fully operational.  The continued aggression of China in the South China Sea and China's avowed intention of establishing their "String of Pearls" ( active naval support centers) in the Indian Ocean daily increases the strategic importance of this base.  India is literally surrounded by Islamic states that hate the world's largest democracy and China which views India as a commercial and military rival and speed bump in their plans to dominate the Indian Ocean Basin. India knows that any day it could find itself literally under siege. Their presence in the Strait of Malacca does appear to be aiding in the suppression of the once rampant piracy that plagued the region. India remains non aligned, but we remind all Westerners that India is standing in the breech defending civilized and humane values against a fire breathing dragon and an insane sword wielding goat. If the goat and the dragon ever over whelm India we're next, though the two are hardly allies.



 On July 31, 2012 India opened it latest naval base at Andaman and Nicobar Islands southern most fringe of Campbell Bay. This new base presently flying manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft allows India to effectively monitor the Strait of Malacca and Six Degree Channel. The Strait of Malacca was once the most pirate plagued area in the modern world until Somalia surpassed it in pirate activity. Eventually the new naval base will serve naval patrol craft, amphibious warfare vessels, and fast attack craft. From the vantage point of the new base called "INS BAZZ' (appropriately meaning "Hawk") India will be able to effectively monitor traffic passing between the China Sea and Indian Ocean, vice versa, as well as traffic in the Strait and Six Degree Channel. There is a new sheriff in town and he is a tiger, pirates and any ill intended dragons watch out.

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