Navy to set up base in West Bengal's Haldia to tighten vigil on China, Bangladesh
The new base of the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal is being established amid rising Chinese naval activity and evolving regional security dynamics involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The new base will be relatively compact, with an estimated strength of around 100 officers and sailors, suggesting it won't be a full-fledged command. Its location -- approximately 100 km from Kolkata -- offers a strategic advantage by providing direct access to the Bay of Bengal while avoiding the time-consuming transit via the River Hooghly.
The Haldia base is expected to host Fast Interceptor Crafts (FICs) and the 300-tonne New Water Jet Fast Attack Crafts (NWJFACs).
These high-speed platforms, capable of speeds of up to 40–45 knots, are designed for quick-response maritime operations.
The naval base will leverage the existing Haldia dock complex, allowing the Navy to rapidly operationalise the facility with minimal additional infrastructure. Initial work will include the construction of a dedicated jetty and shore-support facilities.
The Navy will set up a new base at Haldia in West Bengal in a bid to enhance India's maritime presence in the northern Bay of Bengal region amid rising Chinese naval activity and evolving regional security dynamics involving Bangladesh and Pakistan. Top defence sources told India Today that the facility would function as a naval "detachment" focused on deploying small warships.
They are armed with CRN-91 guns and are likely to be equipped with loitering munition capabilities such as the Nagastra system, enhancing their precision strike and surveillance roles.
Experts said the move in the northern Bay of Bengal was due to several reasons, including increased movements by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in the Indian Ocean Region, growing concerns over maritime infiltration, and instances of illegal crossings from Bangladesh into India using sea routes.
The shallow waters and dense maritime traffic near the India-Bangladesh coastline make fast, agile platforms particularly effective for deterrence and interception.
The Haldia base assumes added importance amid China's expanding naval footprint in the Indian Ocean and Beijing's deepening defence and infrastructure engagement with Bangladesh, alongside its long-standing military partnership with Pakistan.
The move also aligns with the Navy's broader expansion plans. In 2024, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared the procurement of 120 Fast Interceptor Crafts and 31 NWJFACs.
INS Vaghsheer was commissioned by the Prime Minister on January 15, 2025 during the Tri-ship commissioning event.
The Navy has commissioned 12 warships, including INS Uday Giri, the 100th indigenously designed warship developed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
INS Aridhaman was an important element. It joins INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, forming a trio of Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).
The second submarine in the class, INS Arighaat, was commissioned on August 29, 2024, in Visakhapatnam after an extensive construction process involving advanced design and manufacturing technologies, specialised materials, and complex engineering.
INS Aridhaman (SSBN 82) (lit. 'Perpetually Victorious') is a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, and the third of the Indian Navy's Arihant-class submarine.
It is designated S4 Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine. The 7,000-tonne vessel was built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship Building Centre in the port city of Visakhapatnam.
It is an upgraded variant of the Arihant-class submarine.
The submarine was quietly launched in 2021 and little has been publicly announced about its capabilities and current status.
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