With trouble brewing in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, the Indian Navy is all set to add some teeth to its strategic base at Port Blair. It is understood that the Indian Navy will set up a unit of its elite Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) as a part of the tri-service command to integrate an offensive potential against the rising menace of piracy as well as other threats.Set up two years ago as a result of the recommendations of the Group of Ministers after the Kargil war, the tri-service command is India’s strategic move to ensure a greater reach in the Malacca Straits. While it is a move to integrate tri-service operability, it was also set up with a view to ensure New Delhi’s footprint in a region which has seen growing Chinese influence.In the last two years the region has also seen the first ever joint operations conducted between the Indian and US Navy as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Naval ships conducted 24 joint missions escorting high-value US ships through the Malacca Straits just before the war in Iraq commenced.However, with instances of poaching and piracy on the rise, and an eye on Chinese moves, the Navy is adding a special forces capability to the region.A small unit of the MARCOS will be set up to monitor the sea lanes of communication and react to any exigency say South Block sources.It will also enable the Navy to add valuable human intelligence which is key to the operations of the Tri-Services command.In fact, the rise of foreign intrusion has been highlighted by the Island administration several times and the Chief Secretary has also written to the Ministry of Home Affairs to ‘‘devise some mechanism to keep an eye repatriated poachers to stop them from re-entering Andaman waters.In a letter from the Chief Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs on January 7 this year, the administration highlighted the presence of ‘‘foreign intruders from Thailand and Indonesia’’ who were ‘‘repeatedly entering Andaman waters.’’
