According to Damien Symon, a geo-intelligence expert, a Chinese satellite and missile tracking vessel is approaching the Indian Ocean, causing concerns in India. Symon also noted that another Chinese research vessel is currently operating in the region.

Following a notification by India for a no-fly zone over the Bay Of Bengal Region, indicating a probable missile test, a geo-intelligence expert noted the expected date of the test to be between April 3 and 4.

Symon tweeted that India had issued a notification for a no-fly zone over the Bay Of Bengal Region, suggesting a probable missile test on April 3-4, 2024. He further mentioned the movement of China's missile tracking vessel, Yuan Wang 03, towards the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

In January of this year, Indian geo-strategist Brahma Chellaney remarked that China's activities in the Indian Ocean had intensified following the Maldives' decision to permit a Chinese research vessel to dock at its Male port. Chellaney highlighted China's aggressive efforts to map the Indian Ocean bed and gather seismic and bathymetric data, aimed at enhancing submarine operations within India's maritime domain.

On January 22, Brahma Chellaney, the author of 'Water: Asia's New Battleground', asserted that China had intensified its survey of the Indian Ocean, encompassing the seafloor, to enable submarine operations in the region.

He stated that China's potential establishment of a formidable maritime presence against India would finalize India's strategic encirclement, as he shared a paper titled "China's Dual-Use Research Operations in the Indian Ocean."

As per the paper by Hidden Reach, Chinese oceanographic missions since 2020 were analysed, revealing 64 active research and survey vessels. The paper indicated that over 80 percent of these vessels had shown "suspect behaviour or possess organizational links suggesting their involvement in advancing Beijing's geopolitical agenda".

The paper added that the PLA can leverage the insights gained from these missions to enhance its knowledge of the dynamic undersea environment—a crucial precursor to confidently deploying naval forces abroad.

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