To simplify the blockade to having BrahMos on Andaman Island would be an armchair general's argument, no real Indian officer would consider it a solution. The reality is, during the 5 day May conflict, Indian Navy culdn't even blockade Karachi with two aircraft carriers and dozens of submarines in the region, not to forget surface vessels that carry BrahMos missiles.
Recent evidence indicates that while there is no official, permanent People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) base on Great Coco Island, the facility is undergoing significant upgrades, often attributed to Chinese involvement, that could enable its use for military reconnaissance and aircraft operations. But, PLAAF doe have a Radar station on the Island. China has deployed advanced, long-range radar systems, including Large Phased Array Radar (LPAR) in Yunnan and potential over-the-horizon (OTH) systems, capable of monitoring Indian missile tests and airspace from over 5,000 km away. These systems can track Indian missiles from launch sites like Abdul Kalam Island in real-time, covering North India and the Indian Ocean.
PLAN's sheer size and capabilities outclasses Indian Navy in every weapons category plus having three aircraft carriers, Liaoning, Shandongs and Fujian, China's most advanced carrier with electromagnetic catapults that carries their 5th gen fighter such as J-35.
To think that Indian navy's BrahMos can blockade PLAN would be comedic. As of early 2026, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has expanded its reach far beyond its coastal waters, transitioning from a "near-coast" force into a global blue-water navy. While concentrated in the Indo-Pacific, Chinese naval task groups now regularly conduct operations and live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea near Australia and New Zealand, in the Bering Sea, and in the Indian Ocean. Besides the far reach, PLAN also enjoys access to bases in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Djibouti that can limit India's access outsite of its EEZ. As of late 2025 and early 2026, China has deployed multiple, often described as "dual-use," survey and research vessels, including Shi Yan 6, Shen Hai Yi Hao, Lan Hai 201, and Lan Hai 101, across the Indian Ocean Region. These ships, often viewed by analysts as intelligence-gathering platforms, operate near India, the Maldives, Diego Garcia, and Mauritius, likely mapping the seabed to gain a military edge in submarine operations and tracking local naval movements.