India, Mauritius Inaugurate Island Facilities For Surveillance
India and Mauritius inaugurated a new airstrip and jetty on the islands of Agalega, boosting military infrastructure in a region marked by increasing piracy attempts and forays by Chinese warships.
(Bloomberg) -- India and Mauritius inaugurated a new airstrip and jetty on the islands of Agalega, boosting military infrastructure in a region marked by increasing piracy attempts and forays by Chinese warships.
The new facilities are helpful in “upgrading and reinforcing our maritime security,” Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth said at Thursday’s inauguration ceremony. He added that the infrastructure is critical for countering terrorism, piracy and the illegal narcotics trade near Agalega, which sits in an exclusive economic zone stretching 2.3 million square kilometers (888,000 square miles).
Prime Minister Jugnauth clarified that Mauritius will remain in control of Agalega, which is located about 1,080 kilometers north of the nation’s main island, also called Mauritius, and 3,729 kilometers west of Mumbai, India. Agalega — which is comprised of two islands — sits in a zone frequently used by cargo ships moving goods from Asia.
The race to control vast stretches of the Indian Ocean is heating up. The region is critical for global trade. Countries as varied as the US, France, the UK, India and China are deploying more warships than ever before in the waters.
India Boosts Naval Patrols to Catch China in Crowded Global Seas
The new facilities in Mauritius are advantageous for India. Warships deployed by the South Asian nation can refuel from Agalega. Big aircraft — including the P8i, India’s fleet of US-made long range maritime surveillance aircraft — can also land on a new three-kilometer-long airstrip.
Nearby, the Maldives recently ordered Indian military personnel to leave the island nation and remove their helicopters and a radar chain used for monitoring commercial ships.
India to Pull Out Troops From Maldives by May 10, Male Says
India has extended a credit line of $1 billion and a grant of $400 million to Mauritius over the last few years, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration ceremony on Agalega. India has also allocated 3.7 billion rupees ($44.6 million) as aid to the island nation for the next fiscal year, according to budget papers presented in Parliament.
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