CDS Gen Anil Chauhan with senior military officials during the inauguration of the resurfaced and upgraded runway at the IAF’s Car Nicobar air base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on FridaY. (Credit: A&N Command) NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday inaugurated a major runway upgrade at the Indian Air Force’s Car Nicobar air base, a move aimed at strengthening India’s strategic reach over the vital Malacca Strait.Car Nicobar, which once bore the brunt of a deadly tsunami in 2004, gets the new modernised infrastructure that is designed to enhance the IAF’s rapid response capabilities and strengthen India’s military posture in the eastern Indian Ocean.The CDS, who arrived at Car Nicobar around 11.30 am, was welcomed by Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and several other senior officials on the island. Significant changes done as part of the base facelift include the expansion of the apron areas for smooth aircraft movement. The new facility will help the IAF carry out long-range firing exercises in a minimal time.Car Nicobar is a key part of the ANC 0— the country’s only tri-service command integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Positioned at the heart of the Bay of Bengal, it acts as a springboard for operations across the Indo-Pacific. Second, the base enables rapid deployment, humanitarian assistance and deterrence against threats to India’s maritime security. And most importantly, its strategic location near the Malacca Strait underscores its role in safeguarding some of the world’s busiest sea lanes.On Dec 26, 2004, Car Nicobar was shattered by a monstrous tsunami that claimed the lives of 122 air warriors and their family members. Hundreds of civilians were also killed. The coastline was redrawn, villages erased and haunting “ghost towns” left behind.The tsunami forced India to rethink its strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific. Car Nicobar, once a site of grief, was rebuilt as a hub of resilience. Today, the airbase hosts C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, elite paratroopers and advanced surveillance systems.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosShankh Air Founder Speaks Out As Airline Eyes March Launch, Targets Intl Flights By 2029’Their Islamist Ideas…’: Ex-Bangladesh Minister Hits Out Over Attacks on Hindus And Christians’Very Petty & Shameful’: Shashi Tharoor On Row Over KKR Selecting Bangladeshi Player In IPLINLD President Calls For Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal Type Uprising In India Politics, Triggers RowBJP Claims Rahul Gandhi Ties To ‘Anti-India’ Panel Over US Lawmakers’ Umar Khalid LetterNot All Are Illiterate: Rajnath Singh Cites Red Fort Blast, Flags Educated, White Collar Terrorists’Arunachal Pradesh Is And Will Always Be…’ Jaishankar Warns China, Blasts Harassment Of IndiansBullet Train Gets August 15, 2027 India Launch Date, Minister Shares Details On Tunnel BreakthroughCleanest City Hit By Water Contamination As Lab Links Indore Diarrhoea Outbreak To Pipeline LeakUS Lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi Condemns Violence Against Hindus In Bangladesh Urges Global Action Up123PhotostoriesOlder people who live happily, do these 10 things in their 30 and 40s8 winter pickles to add warmth and taste to your mealsLessons from centenarians: What the world’s longest-living people eat‘Shark Tank India Season 5’: FULL LIST of judges, their net worth, and the brands they ownKylie Jenner-Timothée Chalamet to complete 3 years of dating in 2026: 3 relationship lessons to learn from themHow to make Dhaba-style Dal Makhani at homeAttract True Love During the January 2026 Full Moon; According To Birth Number10 oldest trees in the world that are still living and where can they be foundBest mushroom varieties for vitamin D and how to cook themBlue Turmeric: What makes it different and its lesser-known benefits123Hot PicksPremarital Test OmanVande Bharat Sleeper TrainJanuary Bank holidayGold rate todayIncome Tax RefundBahrain Golden Visa 2025Bank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingJustin Thomas Net WorthWWE Star Nikki BellaCardi BCeeDee Lamb Luxury Car CollectionStefon DiggsCaitlin ClarkTom BradyMicah Parsons vs CeeDee Lamb Net WorthNHL Injury UpdateVanessa Bryant
NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday inaugurated a major runway upgrade at the Indian Air Force’s Car Nicobar air base, a move aimed at strengthening India’s strategic reach over the vital Malacca Strait.Car Nicobar, which once bore the brunt of a deadly tsunami in 2004, gets the new modernised infrastructure that is designed to enhance the IAF’s rapid response capabilities and strengthen India’s military posture in the eastern Indian Ocean.The CDS, who arrived at Car Nicobar around 11.30 am, was welcomed by Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and several other senior officials on the island. Significant changes done as part of the base facelift include the expansion of the apron areas for smooth aircraft movement. The new facility will help the IAF carry out long-range firing exercises in a minimal time.Car Nicobar is a key part of the ANC 0— the country’s only tri-service command integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Positioned at the heart of the Bay of Bengal, it acts as a springboard for operations across the Indo-Pacific. Second, the base enables rapid deployment, humanitarian assistance and deterrence against threats to India’s maritime security. And most importantly, its strategic location near the Malacca Strait underscores its role in safeguarding some of the world’s busiest sea lanes.On Dec 26, 2004, Car Nicobar was shattered by a monstrous tsunami that claimed the lives of 122 air warriors and their family members. Hundreds of civilians were also killed. The coastline was redrawn, villages erased and haunting “ghost towns” left behind.The tsunami forced India to rethink its strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific. Car Nicobar, once a site of grief, was rebuilt as a hub of resilience. Today, the airbase hosts C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, elite paratroopers and advanced surveillance systems.