Andaman and Nicobar Command

The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), situated in Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory of India, is the only tri-service theater command of the Indian Armed Forces. In order to protect India’s strategic interests in Southeast Asia and the Strait of Malacca, it was established in 2001. This was accomplished by accelerating the quick deployment of military resources in the area. It offers administrative and logistical assistance to navy ships deployed to the Pacific and East Asian oceans.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A&N) are located on the maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, as defined by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). East of A&N is the Andaman Sea, whereas the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is located in the Bay of Bengal to the north and west of A&N. The Bay of Bengal is connected to the Andaman Sea and to the maritime routes beyond via a number of straits in the A&N, which are nominally a part of the Andaman Sea and not the Bay of Bengal. The Ten Degree Channel, often known as the Great or Grand Channel, is the biggest marine trade route in the world and links to several very congested Malacca Singapore Straits, too. According to military language, this route is the greatest strategic chokepoint in the globe. For example, in the event of a conflict with China, whose economy heavily depends on export commerce through this route, India and its allies might theoretically impose a blockade. The global economy depends on the safety, security, and freedom of navigation in this area. This region is a component of the much wider Indo-Pacific region, which is home to the majority of the world’s marine economic activity and through which 90% of the world’s trade travels.