Chinese 'Research Vessel' Monitored India's Agni-5 Missile Test: Report

In the lead-up to India's crucial flight-test of its 5,000-km-range Agni-5 inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), which took place on Monday (11 March), Beijing had dispatched its second research vessel to the Indian coastline.

The Chinese ship 'Xiang Yang Hong 01' set sail from the port of Qingdao on 23 February, according to maritime analytics provider Marine Traffic.

Also, Open-source intelligence expert Damien Symon showed the 4,425-tonne ship's entry into the Bay of Bengal on Sunday (10 March) on social media platform X, positioning it less than 260 nautical miles off the coast of Visakhapatnam, reported TOI.

Earlier, India had issued a Notice To Air Mission (NOTAM) on 7 March, covering a vast expanse over the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), as a precursor to the missile test.

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It is believed that the Chinese research vessel closely monitored the entire test, potentially gathering crucial data on the missile's range and capabilities.

However, this is not the first instance of such surveillance by Chinese vessels ahead of Indian missile tests.

In November 2022, a Chinese research vessel, 'Yuan Wang 06,' entered the IOR before a scheduled test, prompting India to cancel the NOTAM.

Similarly, in December of that year, another test prompted the presence of China's 'Yuan Wang 05' in the region.

Furthermore, the situation is compounded by the presence of another Chinese research vessel, 'Xiang Yang Hong 03,' in the waters of the Maldives, following the permission granted by President Mohamed Muizzu.

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