Navy monitoring movement of Chinese research vessel in Indian Ocean region: Report

New Delhi, Nov 04: The Navy is closely monitoring the movement of a Chinese research vessel from the instance it entered the Indian Ocean region, reports said. The move comes just days ahead of a planned missile test by India.

In August, a similar high-tech Chinese ship, a ballistic Yuan Wang 5 had docked in the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota. The vessel in question is supposed to come to Hambantota Port on August 11 and stay there until August 17.

It is a dual-use spy, research, and survey vessel which is employed for space and satellite tracking and with specific usage in intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

This vessel is in control of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) under its Strategic Support Force (SSF) unit. The SSF focuses on space, cyber, and electronic warfare.

The move has raised India's concerns as the vessel, Yuan Wang 5, is equipped to track space, satellites, and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

New Delhi had questioned the real purpose of the Chinese spy ship's sail which has a range of more than 750 km as a security threat to strategic installations in the southern Indian states.

The spy ship can bring on its radar India's largest nuclear power plants situated in Kalapakkam and Koodankulam, Tamil Nadu.

The ties between India and Sri Lanka had come under strain after Colombo gave permission to a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine to dock in one of its ports in 2014.