Behind the build up in Great Nicobar: the Andaman and Nicobar Command is India's only tri-service operational command

Background

As the Andaman and Nicobar Administration moves ahead with land acquisition for the Greenfield International Airport Project in Great Nicobar, the islands' standing military arrangement is worth knowing. The Andaman and Nicobar Command, abbreviated ANC, is described by the Government of India as the country's only tri-service operational command, which means the Army, the Navy and the Air Force serve under one Commander-in-Chief there. Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty, AVSM, took charge at Sri Vijaya Puram as the 20th Commander-in-Chief of the command. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 July 1989 and is a specialist in Gunnery and Missiles. He has commanded the ships INS Ajay, INS Khanjar and INS Shivalik, and was the tenth Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy. The Government calls the command a vital pillar of national security in the Indo-Pacific region.