Middle Ground Coastal Battery

Middle Ground islet is a piece of hard basalt rock, emerging from the creek bed, having an area of a few hundred square meters.

[1][2] The island is manned by a staff of eight sailors of the Indian Navy who keep in touch with the mainland through radio communications.

Currently the island serves as the saluting base to the Flag Officer Commander-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Western Naval Command.

The old cannons are ceremonially fired along with a bugle call when a new FOC-in-C takes office or when a naval ship returns to its home port in the harbour after an extended deployment.

The Navy has been offered many lucrative deals for the obsidian isle, but selling it would heavily compromise the security of warships berthed at Naval Jetties.