China's Spy Ship Da Yang Yi Hao Sets Sail For India's Neighbourhood Amidst Heightened Tensions With Pakistan

New Delhi: A Chinese 'spy ship' is reportedly heading towards India's neighbourhood, leading to concerns about espionage activities in the Arabian Sea, in the midst of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack. Open-source intelligence expert Damien Symon has revealed that China's ship, Da Yang Yi Hao, a so-called research vessel, is making its way towards the Indian neighbourhood, fuelling speculation about its true intentions.

The Da Yang Yi Hao is one of several ships that China labels as research vessels, but India and other countries recognise as spy ships. These vessels have dual-purpose scientific capabilities with both civilian and military applications, enabling them to map ocean floors, track missiles, and detect submarine activity. They often conduct these activities under the guise of oceanographic scientific expeditions, such as deep-sea exploration and marine resource surveys.

According to Symon, the ship is coming from the Malacca Strait and appears to be headed towards the south of Sri Lanka. In recent years, such ships have timed their visits to India's neighbourhoods to coincide with missile tests and other military activities, with the unstated purpose of collecting critical data. These vessels have been spotted elsewhere, and their unmanned underwater vehicles have raised concerns about surveillance and data collection.

Chinese Spy Ship's Suspicious Activity

Last year, the visit of another Chinese spy ship, Xiang Yang Hong 01, to the region coincided with the test of India's Agni-5 missile, which is considered an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Analysts have noted that such ships' deployment off India's Eastern seaboard suggests a secondary role in monitoring missile firings at the Balasore test range. Furthermore, these vessels have been accused of detecting the signatures of Indian nuclear ballistic missile-carrying submarines stationed near Visakhapatnam.

Monitoring India's Defence Capabilities

Under the guise of hydrographic surveys, these Chinese vessels have been accused of clandestinely intercepting noise signatures emitted by Indian submarines. Simultaneously, they monitor missile test firings conducted at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) on APJ Abdul Kalam Island, relaying critical coordinates to Chinese spy satellites for comprehensive surveillance.

In 2021, another Chinese spy ship, Da Yang Hao, was flagged for unauthorised activities in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Palau. Reports suggested that the kind of data the ship was capturing was particularly relevant for submarine warfare. The area where the ship was operating, the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, would be a critical feature in any submarine operations if conflict were to break out in the region.

Amidst the all the speculations looming around the Chinese vessel, the movement of the spy vessel is monitored.