(THE GIST OF PIB) INS Jatayu

(MARCH-2024)

Indian Navy will commission Naval Detachment Minicoy as INS Jatayu in the presence of the Chief of the Naval Staff on 06 Mar 2024.

It is the second Naval base in Lakshadweep after INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti.
With the commissioning of INS Jatayu, the Indian Navy will strengthen its foothold in the Lakshadweep islands and along with extending operational surveillance, reach and sustenance.
It will usher in a new era of capacity building and comprehensive development of the island territories.
The event marks an important milestone in the Navy’s resolve to incrementally augment security infrastructure at the strategically important Lakshadweep Islands.

It is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep which straddles the vital Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs).
Naval Detachment Minicoy was set up in the early 1980s under the operational command of Naval Officer-in-Charge (Lakshadweep).
Significance of the Naval Detachment:
Basing of an independent Naval unit with requisite infrastructure and resources will enhance the overall operational capability of the Indian Navy in the islands.
The base will enhance the operational reach and facilitate the Indian Navy’s operational effort towards Anti-Piracy and Anti-Narcotics Operations in the Western Arabian Sea. It will also augment the Indian Navy’s capability as the first responder in the region and augment connectivity with the mainland.