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Satellite images, financial data and field evidence obtained by Al Jazeera’s investigation team indicate that India has built a naval facility on the remote island of Agalega in Mauritius.
Military experts who analyzed Al Jazeera’s evidence said that the Indian Navy will almost certainly use the airstrip under construction for maritime patrol missions.
Rumors and media reports about the military base surfaced for the first time in 2018, but Mauritius and India both denied that the construction project was used for military purposes and stated that the infrastructure was only for the benefit of the islanders.
Satellite images show that Agalega, which is about 1,100 kilometers (684 miles) away from the main island of Mauritius and has about 300 people, is building two large piers and a runway more than 3 kilometers (1.84 miles) long.
Abhishek Mishra, an associate researcher at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) think tank in New Delhi, told Al Al Jazeera.
“According to my personal information and my conversations with all these people in the circle, the base will be used to moor our ships, and the runway will be used mainly for our P-8I aircraft,” Mishra said, referring to India The P-8I maritime patrol aircraft can be used for surveillance, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations.
Aircraft that want to land in Agalega must currently use an 800-meter short landing strip, which is only large enough for the Mauritius Coast Guard’s propeller aircraft.
The new airstrip, which is still under construction, will be as long as the runway used by the world’s largest aircraft at a major international airport.
Comparison of satellite images shows an increase in activity on the sparsely populated island (Maxar)Samuel Bashfield, a researcher at the School of National Security at the Australian National University, told Al Jazeera that the Indian Ocean is increasingly becoming a hot spot for countries to expand their geopolitical influence.
He said: “The southwestern part of the Indian Ocean is an area where India has aircraft that can support ships and an area that can be used as a combat launch pad. This is very important to India.”
“I think it is very important as a complement to other operational points in India,” said Bashfield, whose research focuses on strategic and geopolitical issues in the Indian Ocean.
“I think this is an absolutely perfect military base location.”
Al Jazeera used shipping data to track about 12 bulk carriers carrying construction materials from Indian ports to Agalega.
The pictures and data show how, in the past two years, the island has become home to hundreds of construction workers who live in a semi-permanent camp at the northern end of the 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) long island.
About 1,000 Indian construction workers work in Agalega (Al Jazeera)Maritime patrol
The infrastructure construction of Agalega was carried out after the Mauritian and Indian governments reached an agreement in 2015.
The two countries agreed to “build and upgrade infrastructure to improve sea and air connectivity on the outer islands of Mauritius, which will greatly improve the living conditions of residents of this remote island” and improve the facilities used in Mauritius. Coast Guard.
In May 2021, during the parliamentary meeting, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth categorically denied that the building was used for military purposes. “Let me reiterate most emphatically and clearly that there is no agreement between Mauritius and India on the establishment of a military base in Agalega.”
According to Bashfield’s calculations, this is not the whole truth.
“Except for military use, there is no real reason to develop this island.”
“The purpose of these facilities is to allow the Indian Army and the Mauritius Coast Guard to enter and operate in the area. Therefore, although it is correct that the Mauritian government will provide improved links, it is certainly not the reason for the project,” Pakistan Shfield said.
Mishra believes that optics is why India denies the true purpose of the project.
“From India’s perspective, we cannot be seen as supporters of the militarization of our region,” he said.
“We are worried that China won the first overseas base in Djibouti in 2017. It is hypocritical for us to do the same thing. So at most we can only say this base, it will definitely have some military elements, but mainly It is used for combat turnover.”
India has purchased several P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft for its navy [The Aviation Photo Company]Fight back against China
Countering China’s expansion into the Indian Ocean seems to be India’s main goal in establishing this facility, as it hopes to provide a balance for China’s rising power.
“We have seen the Indian Ocean become more multipolar in nature in the past few years,” Bashfield said.
“We see China is exerting greater influence, we see China’s various military platforms in the Indian Ocean,” he said, referring to China’s military bases in Djibouti and access to multiple ports in the region.
Mishra explained that as a result, India has also strengthened the game.
It has provided coastal radar systems to several countries in the region, including the Maldives and Mauritius.
With Agalega’s military facilities, India will be able to track ships near the key Mozambique Strait.
“The purpose of the Agalega Island agreement signed between India and Mauritius is to make the island a key node in expanding India’s overall footprint in the region,” Mishra said.
“It will provide a useful location for communications and electronic intelligence gathering.”
The runway in Agalega has only 300 people and is more than 3 kilometers long (Al Jazeera)The investigation team has contacted all those who participated in the investigation.
The Mauritian government reiterated its position that “there is no agreement between Mauritius and India to establish a military base in Agalega”.
It added that the term “military base” means: “Facilities owned and operated by the military, or owned and operated by the military, used for long-term sheltering of military equipment and personnel and used for military operations.”
It stated that Agalega’s construction projects are aimed at improving the island’s “insufficient infrastructure” and that the island will continue to be “under the control of the Mauritian authorities, and any foreign use of these facilities must be approved by the Mauritian government.” Mauritius . “
The Indian Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to our requests for comment.
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