The Mystery of Agalega Island : Military Base or Civilian Project ?

By Arpit Verma

Have you ever heard of Agalega Island? Most people haven’t. It’s a small, peaceful island that belongs to Mauritius, far out in the Indian Ocean. Life there has always been simple. But lately, something’s been changing. India has been building things on the island. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal,
just some development, maybe some help with infrastructure.

But then people started noticing what was actually being built. A massive runway. About 3,000 meters long. That’s the kind of runway you see at international airports and the runways of this kind are used for big planes, not small ones. And that’s not all. Two huge hangars have gone up too.

One is around 180 feet wide, the other 200 feet. That’s big and way bigger than what a tiny island like Agalega would need. The official explanation? It’s to help with coast guard operations, maybe support anti-piracy patrols, improve transport. Just routine stuff.

But here’s where it gets strange. Mauritius doesn’t really have large aircraft. The country uses a few small Dornier 228 patrol planes, gifted by India. These planes only need a short runway about less than 1,000 meters. So if that’s all Agalega needs, then what was the reason behond to build such a long runway and such wide hangars.

Some defense experts think they know the answer. Those hangars, they say, are just the right size for India’s P-8I Poseidon aircraft, these are large, powerful surveillance planes used by the Indian Navy. These planes watch the seas, track submarines, and carry high-tech equipment. Generally, they aren’t used for some local jobs. And they’re definitely not for island patrols.

It’s starting to feel like this might not just be an “upgrade.” Some think Agalega is slowly becoming a military base just without anyone calling it that. And that’s what’s worrying people. There’s a long memory in this region.

People remember what happened with Diego Garcia, another island where people were quietly removed and a foreign military base took over. No one wants to see that happen again. To be fair, India and Mauritius both say this isn’t a military base.

But when you look at what’s being built and how little is being said, it’s hard not to wonder. Something is changing on Agalega. The island is still small, still remote. But suddenly, it matters a lot more. And people have started to raise questions.