Myanmar’s Coco Islands, which has always been suspected to be used by the Chinese as a listening post targeting India’s strategic Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is witnessing military modernisation and the creation of facilities for aircraft operations, latest satellite imagery shows.

Satellite images captured by Maxar Technologies in January this year unveil new developments in the Great Coco Island region, where two freshly-built hangars can be seen at the centre, and a few new buildings in the north, along with a large pier possibly for accelerating naval activities.

In an article published by Chatham House, an independent policy institute headquartered in London, satellite imagery expert Damien Symon, who goes by his Twitter handle @detresfa_, and foreign affairs and security issues expert John Pollock wrote that visible are two new hangars, a new causeway and what appears to be an accommodation bloc — all of which are visible in proximity to a freshly lengthened 2,300-metre runway and radar station.

A three-dimensional view of the present infrastructure reveals around 200 buildings which are said to be of the Myanmar military personnel and their families residing on the island.

The images uphold India’s long-held belief that China is increasing military activities on the Myanmar-controlled Coco Islands, one of South Asia’s most strategic islands, which India lost control of due to Jawaharlal Nehru’s lack of strategic comprehension and his inability to bargain hard with the Britishers.

It is being surmised that the Myanmar Junta, colloquially called Tatmadaw, is preparing the islands for its covert maritime surveillance operations, often in collusion with China, as is being regarded by geopolitical experts.

The growing dependence of the junta on the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) soon after the coup d'état also adds to people's concern. However, Beijing’s relations with the Tatmadaw have been on-and-off since its inception on Myanmar's throne.

Great Coco Island, the largest in an isolated archipelago that lies just 55 km north of Andaman and Nicobar Islands — the home to India’s first tri-service command — has been rumoured to have Chinese presence over the last two decades at least.

The Indian Coast Guard has intercepted fishing trawlers flying Myanmar flags off the Andaman Islands. On inspection, all the crew turned out to be Chinese nationals on expeditions with radio and depth-sounding equipment for submarine usage.

Also, the island’s close proximity to the Indian Tri-service Command situated on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands raises eyebrows over the possible reconnoitring of significant military locations.

Image source: Maxar Technologies