The Chief of Defence Forces, Major General Michael Rosette, has confirmed that India will assist Seychelles in refurbishing a military tower on Assomption Island. He made the statement during a visit to the island on Monday 1 December 2025, as part of a delegation led by President Patrick Herminie.
Major General Rosette told the delegation that several facilities on Assomption were originally established for military use. “Where we are here, it’s for the military. The whole of this compound is for military facilities. We have our tower here and another tower in the northern part,” he said.
He explained that the Seychelles Defence Forces conducted an audit on the tower in 2021, followed by a recent audit by the Islands Development Company (IDC), both concluding that refurbishment is necessary. He stated that India will support the work, with teams expected “early next year”.
Rosette noted that the Defence Forces aim to re-establish a presence on the island, adding that discussions are underway with IDC to facilitate this. He said the extension of the runway would allow the Dornier aircraft to operate from Assomption for a few days at a time, with refuelling support from IDC.
He also said that if the proposed tourism project proceeds, it would not hinder military operations. Instead, he noted that it could help activities such as search and rescue. “We will have a boat repositioned here if the jetty goes ahead and is built, because it already caters for the size of a coast guard vessel,” he added.
The jetty renovation is being carried out by the developer Assets Group. The existing structure has collapsed and requires rebuilding and extension to accommodate most vessel types. The upgraded jetty is also expected to support biosecurity screening before vessels reach the mainland.
Assomption forms part of the Aldabra group, a UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site.