Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, inaugurated residential accommodation for senior sailors and defence civilians at Naval Base Karwar on 21 Feb 2026 in the presence of Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar, Director General Seabird and other senior officers. The development forms part of Project Seabird Phase IIA (Project Seabird) and is intended to strengthen support infrastructure for the Indian Navy. Officials said the completion of these living units marks a milestone in enhancing welfare and operational readiness for service personnel and their families. The residential accommodation at East of Manzil Creek and Amadalli comprises one tower of married accommodation for senior sailors comprising 60 Dwelling Units (DUs) and four towers comprising 240 DUs for naval defence civilians. The buildings were constructed by M/s NCC Ltd, Hyderabad and are designed to provide modern living facilities. The accommodation incorporates contemporary utilities and common areas to support family life and routine administrative needs. Phase IIA of Project Seabird will support berthing of a large number of ships and submarines at Karwar and includes a Naval Air Station, a full-fledged Naval Dockyard, four Covered Dry Berths and logistics for ships and aircraft. The wider development is expected to house approximately 10,000 uniformed and civilian personnel with families and to provide a significant boost to the local economy, industry and tourism. Planned support infrastructure is expected to improve logistics efficiency and to facilitate sustained naval operations in the western seaboard. The project conforms to extant norms of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and upon completion is planned to be an IGBC Gold Rated Project. The initiative aligns with the concept of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and reports indicate that over 90 per cent of materials and equipment have been sourced domestically.