CINCAN visits Landfall Island and INS Kohassa near Great Coco Island
Synopsis
India's Andaman and Nicobar Command chief personally inspected outposts just 35 km from Great Coco Island — the contested Myanmar landmass where China is allegedly building a military base, extending a runway to 2,441 metres and constructing facilities for 1,000 personnel. The visit signals that India is watching this front line very closely.
Key Takeaways
Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty , CINCAN, visited Landfall Island , East Island , and INS Kohassa on 21 October 2026 .
Landfall Island is only 35 km from Great Coco Island , Myanmar — India's closest territorial point to that contested location.
Satellite imagery reportedly shows Great Coco Island's runway extended to 2,441 metres , hangars for two aircraft, accommodation for ~ 1,000 personnel , and a naval pier under construction.
Myanmar has denied Chinese military presence on Coco Island but has not allowed Indian on-site inspection.
INS Kohassa's runway at Diglipur ( 1,006 metres ) is being upgraded to handle larger surveillance aircraft.
Landfall Island has a resident population of just six people from the Kari tribe ; ANC personnel are rotated in due to its strategic position.
Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty, Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, conducted an operational visit to strategically sensitive locations across the Andaman archipelago, including Landfall Island, East Island, and naval air station INS Kohassa. The visit focused on assessing operational readiness, reviewing capability enhancement initiatives, and evaluating logistical sustenance measures for troops deployed in some of India's most remote frontier outposts.
Why Landfall Island Matters
Landfall Island — locally known as Talrichiro or Taramikhu — is the northernmost island of the Andamans and lies just 35 km from Great Coco Island of Myanmar, making it India's closest territorial point to that contested landmass. The island suffered devastating infrastructure damage during the 2004 Tsunami and today hosts only one village with a population of six, all belonging to the Kari tribe. Given its frontier position, Andaman and Nicobar Command assets and personnel are deployed there on a rotational basis. East Island, located roughly 1.5 km to the east of Landfall and uninhabited, shares the same strategic corridor; both islands are separated from North Andaman Island by the Cleugh Passage.
The Great Coco Island Question
Great Coco Island was originally part of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago before its administrative control was transferred to Myanmar by the British in 1882. There are longstanding allegations that the island was subsequently leased to China, which reportedly established a military presence there. Myanmar has officially denied any Chinese military presence on the island, but has not responded to Indian requests for an on-site inspection. Satellite imagery, according to reports, shows that the runway on Coco Island has been extended to 2,441 metres, accommodation has been constructed for approximately 1,000 personnel, two large hangars have been built, and a major naval pier is reportedly under construction at the island's northern tip.
INS Kohassa: Surveillance Hub on the Front Line
INS Kohassa is a naval air station situated at Diglipur on North Andaman Island. It currently operates helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft, including Dorniers, and carries out surveillance, anti-poaching operations, and Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. Its existing 1,006-metre runway is currently being upgraded to accommodate larger aircraft — a development that analysts note is directly relevant to India's ability to monitor activity at Coco Island.
CINCAN's Assessment and Commendation
During the visit, Vice Admiral McCarty interacted with officers and other ranks posted at these forward locations, discussing operational challenges and reviewing ongoing infrastructure projects. He commended the troops for their 'exemplary professionalism, unwavering commitment and steadfast dedication to duty,' according to official statements. The visit underscores the Indian Navy's sustained focus on the eastern flank of the Andaman chain, a corridor of growing strategic importance given evolving activity on Great Coco Island.
As infrastructure upgrades at INS Kohassa progress and surveillance capabilities expand, the Andaman and Nicobar Command's ability to monitor the Great Coco Island corridor is expected to strengthen significantly in the coming years.
Point of View
441 metres, two large hangars, 1,000-personnel accommodation, and a naval pier at Coco Island amounts to a substantial force-projection platform, one that Myanmar alone has little reason to construct. India's challenge is structural: INS Kohassa's 1,006-metre runway limits the size and endurance of aircraft it can deploy, and the upgrade timeline is unspecified. Every month that gap remains, the asymmetry between what India can surveil and what China can allegedly station widens. The fact that Myanmar has declined an on-site inspection request from India is itself a diplomatic signal that New Delhi should press harder at the bilateral level.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Landfall Island strategically important for India?
Landfall Island is the northernmost island of the Andaman chain and sits just 35 km from Great Coco Island of Myanmar, making it India's closest territorial point to that strategically contested location. Its proximity means Indian forces stationed there can monitor activity on Coco Island, where China is allegedly maintaining a military presence.
What is the controversy surrounding Great Coco Island?
Great Coco Island, administratively transferred to Myanmar by the British in 1882, is at the centre of allegations that it was subsequently leased to China, which has reportedly built military infrastructure there. Myanmar has officially denied any Chinese military presence, but satellite imagery reportedly shows a runway extended to 2,441 metres, hangars, accommodation for about 1,000 personnel, and a naval pier under construction.
What is INS Kohassa and what role does it play?
INS Kohassa is a naval air station at Diglipur on North Andaman Island that conducts surveillance, anti-poaching operations, and Search and Rescue missions close to the Great Coco Island corridor. Its 1,006-metre runway is currently being upgraded to accommodate larger aircraft, enhancing India's surveillance reach in the region.
What did CINCAN assess during the 21 October visit?
Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty assessed operational readiness, reviewed capability enhancement initiatives, and evaluated logistical sustenance measures at Landfall Island, East Island, and INS Kohassa. He also discussed challenges faced by troops in these remote postings and reviewed ongoing infrastructure projects.
Has India raised the Coco Island issue with Myanmar?
India has reportedly requested an on-site inspection of Great Coco Island, but Myanmar has not responded to that request, even as it officially denies Chinese military presence there. The absence of a response has kept the allegations unresolved and continued Indian monitoring of the location a strategic priority.
