Type Naval station Year built 1964 | In use 1964-present Controlled by Indian Navy | |
 | ||
Occupants Andaman and Nicobar Command | ||
INS Jarawa is a naval base under the joint-services Andaman and Nicobar Command located in Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It was commissioned in 1964.
INS Utkrosh is an adjacent naval air station. INHS Dhanvantari is a naval hospital on the base. A Floating Dock Navy (FDN-1) of nearly 40,000 tonnes is also operated to dock a large number of vessels under the A&N Command. A second, smaller floating dock (FDN-2) was also ordered in 2010.
History
After the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the Navy was tasked with the defence of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Preparations for setting up naval establishments on the islands started in November 1962. In mid 1963, the first naval garrison of 5 officers and 156 sailors arrived in Port Blair. After the Seaward class defense boats were deployed to the islands, a maintenance and repair facility was created to support these small craft. INS Jarawa was then commissioned in 1964 as the base to oversee all naval operations on the islands. The base is named for the indigenous adivasi Jarawa tribe of the Andaman islands.
INS Magar (1949), an amphibious warfare ship, was the first major vessel to have INS Jarawa as its home port. Construction of a naval wharf for the base started in 1968. Comprehensive ship repair facilities were commissioned at the base in 1979.