India puts off missile test as China’s survey vessel lurks in Bay of Bengal

A game of shadows is being played between India and China in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. India has rescheduled a missile test after a Chinese survey vessel, Shi Yan-6, was spotted in international waters south of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The test, originally planned for November 25-27, is now scheduled for December 1-3. By then, Shi Yan-6 is expected to have taken a westerly course towards its destination in Mauritius.

Survey vessels in naval parlance can perform multiple tasks, including tracking missile trajectories like the one India plans to test near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Sources said Shi Yan-6 was a spy ship equipped with advanced gadgetry such as radars and sensors to monitor underwater movement.

Currently, including Shi Yan-6, three Chinese survey vessels are operating in international waters near India. Beijing’s growing presence has already raised concerns in New Delhi.

In the past, India has postponed tests when Chinese survey vessels tacitly positioned themselves to monitor missile trajectories and impact points.

Shi Yan-6 is fitted with advanced systems for deep-sea research and underwater surveys. It is en route to Mauritius on what China calls a “scientific mission.” Sources say these ships conduct systematic underwater mapping, submarine route planning, sonar profiling and missile targeting data collection. Each voyage refines China’s ability to project power across the ocean.

The other two survey ships are Shen Hai Yi Hao and Lan Hai 201. Shen Hai Yi Hao operates submersibles capable of plunging over 7,000 metres beneath the sea. It is currently surveying minerals and underwater mountains near the Maldives and is suspected of mapping submarine cables and undersea routes.

Lan Hai 201 is operating west of the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea. It can collect data using sonar.