Sri Vijaya Puram: India conducted a high-altitude missile test over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Friday morning after closing down the airspace for three hours. A similar test will be conducted on Saturday.
While no details of the test were revealed, officials confirmed that it was successful. They also said that similar tests have been carried out in the past after closing down the airspace. India’s strategic Tri-Services Command is based in the Andamans.
The airspace closure lasted from 7 am to 10 am on Saturday. The airspace will remain closed for the same period on Saturday, it has been notified. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued on May 16, directing aviation authorities to stay clear.
“No civilian aircraft will be allowed to fly over the designated zone on May 23 and 24. The restricted airspace includes a corridor up to 500 km in length and is effective between 01:30 and 04:30 UTC (7 am to 10 am IST), the NOTAM specified.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are situated in the easternmost part of the Bay of Bengal. It is barely 200 km from the Strait of Malacca that links the Bay of Bengal (a part of the Indian Ocean) to the South China Sea. The archipelago is of strategic importance to India as it holds the potential to control the movement of cargo through the Strait of Malacca.
As much as 30% of global maritime cargo passes through the Malacca Strait, making it the most important passage in the global economy. Nearly 94,000 ships pass through Malacca every year. The volume of trade that passes is nearly US$ 3.5 trillion. This includes two-third of China’s maritime trdae volume.
