In the midst of growing tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack, a Chinese ship strongly suspected of being involved in espionage operations is making its way towards India’s maritime neighborhood. Open-source intelligence expert Damien Symon reports that the ship Da Yang Yi Hao, which China has designated as a research ship, is heading towards Sri Lanka’s southern waters from the Malacca Strait.
Although officially tagged for scientific expeditions such as oceanographic research and marine resource assessments, India and other countries are suspicious that boats like Da Yang Yi Hao have twin uses carrying out intelligence gathering in the name of research. The ships are fitted with sophisticated systems for ocean-bottom mapping, missile tracking, and submarine activity detection. They are also reportedly using unmanned underwater vehicles to gather vital military information.
The movement of such ships often coincides with missile testing and other strategic activities in the region, raising concerns about surveillance. In the past, similar ships, including Xiang Yang Hong 01, have been spotted near India’s eastern coast during missile tests like that of the Agni-5, an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Reports indicate these ships not only track missile launches but also try to intercept acoustic signatures of Indian nuclear subs, especially those stationed close to Visakhapatnam. Such data are then purportedly relayed to Chinese satellites for wider surveillance coverage.
Da Yang Yi Hao has previously been in the limelight. In 2021, it was intercepted for illegal operations in Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), gathering information considered important for submarine warfare, especially in areas such as the Kyushu-Palau Ridge.
The presence of this ship during the period of increased Indo-Pak tension is seen as a strategic attempt, heightening fears of China’s expanding maritime intelligence capabilities in the Indian Ocean region.