Bot at 08:06, 2 November 2022

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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = INS Baaz
| nativename = {{lang|hi|आईएनएस बाज़}}
| image =
| caption = Crest of the naval base INS Baaz
| image2 = INS Baaz bird's eye view.jpg
| caption2 = Bird's eye view of INS Baaz
| image-width =
| IATA =
| ICAO = VOBX
| type = [[Naval Air Station]]
| owner =
| operator = [[Indian Navy]]
| city-served =
| location = [[Campbell Bay (Great Nicobar)|Campbell Bay]], [[Andaman & Nicobar Islands]], [[India]]
| pushpin_map = India Andaman and Nicobar Islands#India
| coordinates = {{coord|7|0|47|N|93|55|25|E|region:IN_type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_label = '''VOBX'''
| elevation-f =
| elevation-m =
| website =
| metric-rwy = y
| r1-number =
| r1-length-m = 1050
| r1-length-f = 3445
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| r2-number =
| r2-length-m =
| r2-length-f =
| r2-surface =
| footnotes =
}}

'''INS Baaz''' is an Indian [[naval air station]] under the joint-services [[Andaman and Nicobar Command]] (ANC) of the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. It is located near [[Campbell Bay (Great Nicobar)|Campbell Bay]], on [[Great Nicobar]] island in the [[Andaman & Nicobar Islands]].<ref name=hindu-campbell-bay>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3707955.ece|title=Naval air station opened in Campbell Bay|work=The Hindu|date=2012-07-31}}</ref> It is the southernmost air station of the Indian Armed Forces.<ref name=toi-ins-baaz>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-01/india/32980434_1_indian-ocean-region-air-station-kamorta|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126115124/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-01/india/32980434_1_indian-ocean-region-air-station-kamorta|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-01-26|work=[[The Times of India]]|title=INS Baaz to keep hawk eye on threats in Indian Ocean Region|date=2012-08-01}}</ref> It overlooks the [[Strait of Malacca]] as well as the Six Degree [[channel (geography)|channel]] between Great Nicobar and the [[Indonesia]]n island of [[Sumatra]].<ref name=pib-ins-baaz>{{cite news|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=85620|title=INS 'Baaz' – Commissioned by Admiral Nirmal Verma as First Naval Air Station in Nicobar Group of Islands|publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India|date=2012-07-31}}</ref>

== History ==
INS Baaz was commissioned by the [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]], Admiral [[Nirmal Kumar Verma]] on 31 July 2012. It is the first air station in the [[Nicobar Islands]], situated on the Great Nicobar island in the remotest and southernmost part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and lies very close to the [[Six Degree channel]], a vital choke point. The commissioning of the air station will facilitate positioning of maritime reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters of ANC and also facilitate the Civil Administration to operate regular intra-island sorties. The Naval air station will provide requisite logistic, communication and administrative support for various aircraft undertaking surveillance, patrolling missions and maritime air operations. The strategically located INS Baaz will enable India to extend its reach in the eastern Indian Ocean region.<ref name=pib-ins-baaz/>

Commander SK Singh Deo is the first commanding officer of INS Baaz. INS Baaz will initially be used as a base for the Indian Navy's [[Dornier 228]] [[reconnaissance]] aircraft. It can also operate the [[Indian Air Force]]'s [[C-130J Super Hercules]] transport aircraft. Its runway measures {{convert|3500|ft|m}} and will be progressively lengthened to enable all heavy aircraft to operate from the base.<ref name=pib-ins-baaz/>

== Modernization ==
There are plans to extend the runway to 6,000 feet by 2016 and then to 10,000 feet. The Indian Navy has been flying new [[Boeing P-8 Poseidon|Boeing P8i Poseidon]] surveillance aircraft with anti-submarine capabilities from Mainland India to [[Veer Savarkar International Airport|Port Blair]] but once the runway is at 6,000 feet they would also rotate through Campbell Bay from time to time.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Insight - From remote outpost, India looks to check China's Indian Ocean thrust|url = http://in.reuters.com/article/india-andamans-military-insight-idINKCN0PO2NB20150715|website = Reuters India|access-date = 2016-01-01}}</ref>

==Airlines and destinations==
{{Airport-dest-list
|[[Indian Air Force]]| [[Car Nicobar Air Force Base|Car Nicobar]], [[Veer Savarkar International Airport|Port Blair]]<ref>[http://echoofindia.com/port-blair-launch-iaf-dornier-flight-services-lg-and-cs-flag-113174 Air Force Started Flights Between Inter Islands] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806175141/http://echoofindia.com/port-blair-launch-iaf-dornier-flight-services-lg-and-cs-flag-113174 |date=2016-08-06 }}</ref>
}}

; Indian navy
* [[List of Indian Navy bases]]
* [[List of active Indian Navy ships]]

; Integrated commands and units
* [[Armed Forces Special Operations Division]]
* [[Defence Cyber Agency]]
* [[Integrated Defence Staff]]
* [[Integrated Space Cell]]
* [[Nuclear Command Authority (India)|Indian Nuclear Command Authority]]
* [[Indian Armed Forces]]
* [[Special Forces of India]]

; Other lists
* [[Strategic Forces Command]]
* [[List of Indian Air Force stations]]
* [[List of Indian Navy bases]]
* [[List of countries with overseas military bases#India|India's overseas military bases]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|INS Baaz}}
{{Airports in India}}
{{Indian Navy}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:INS Baaz}}
[[Category:Indian Naval Air Stations|Baaz]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
[[Category:Airports in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]

INS Baaz - Revision history

Bot at 08:06, 2 November 2022