India readying military base on Mauritian island to counter PRC’s influence
Mandeep Singh
India is preparing to open a military installation on the Mauritian island of North Agalega as part of an initiative to enhance maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The final preparations follow the September 2023 meeting of the leaders of India and Mauritius, and the nations’ signing in November 2023 of a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop and launch an Earth observation satellite for Mauritius.
The moves reflect New Delhi’s strategy to counter the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) attempts to establish dominance in the IOR, analysts contend.
“Developing an airfield, port and a communications hub at Mauritius’ North Agalega island, and in the strategically important southwestern part of the Indian Ocean, will enhance India’s maritime domain awareness,” retired Indian Army Col. Anil Bhat told FORUM.
Bhat said the Agalega atoll is suitable for a runway. Additionally, jetties are reportedly being built to facilitate operation of India’s fleet of Boeing P-8I maritime surveillance planes, which can conduct anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
“Considering the great expanse of the Indian Ocean, North Agalega island will be a suitable staging point for refueling,” he said.
Bhat noted the nations’ long history of cooperation, adding that India’s External Affairs Ministry has indicated that the November agreement will enable infrastructure projects to enhance Mauritius’ air and sea connectivity, which will “go a long way toward improving the conditions of the residents of this remote island.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Summit in New Delhi in September. They discussed bilateral cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure, financial technology and culture, and commemorated 75 years of diplomatic ties, officials said.
The new base will bolster India’s strategic response to Beijing’s efforts to establish “a network of commercial and military bases and ports” extending from the Chinese mainland to the Horn of Africa, the Times of India reported. Those projects include a naval base on China’s Hainan island, a Chinese-financed commercial shipping center in Sri Lanka, a Chinese-controlled deep-water port in Gwadar, Pakistan, a naval base in the East African nation of Djibouti, and seven fortified artificial maritime features in the South China Sea. Coupled with the PRC’s military buildup, including submarines, destroyers and aircraft carriers, the so-called “string of pearls” strategy endangers maritime security in the IOR, the newspaper reported.
New Delhi’s response, dubbed the “necklace of diamonds,” involves building ports and installing surveillance systems within the IOR, and strengthening defense partnerships, including with Indonesia, Oman, the Philippines, Seychelles, Singapore and the United States.
Bhat said the base in Agalega, along with the Kohassa and Utkrosh naval air stations in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the northeastern Indian Ocean, “are important requirements particularly to counter Chinese PLA [People’s Liberation Army] Navy’s wide underwater snooping.”
Mandeep Singh is a FORUM contributor reporting from New Delhi, India.
