China nervous as India conducts Agni-V missile test, sends spy vessel to Bay of Bengal

A Chinese research vessel has raced up India’s eastern seafront and is currently stationed in international waters off the Indian coastline, only days after India issued an alarm regarding an upcoming missile launch off the Odisha coast.

The Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV)-equipped Agni-5 missile underwent a successful test on Monday. The successful test was verified by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Chinese vessel, Xian Yang Hong 01, is currently about 480 kilometers, or less than 260 nautical miles, off the coast of Visakhapatnam. India bases its three nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines there, which are among the country’s most sensitive weaponry.

There were rumors that India was preparing to launch the K-4, a nuclear-capable missile meant for submarine launch. The Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) created the missile, which can carry warheads up to two tons in weight.

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A NOTAM advisory was sent out last week in advance of the test. Notification to Airmen, or NOTAM, is the term for notifications that are used to declare an area off-limits to flying. The warning, which was for the Bay of Bengal region, was interpreted as a blatant sign that India was preparing a missile launch, which might happen at any time between March 11 and 16. The NOTAM alert designates a 3,500-kilometer no-fly zone that extends well south of the Bay of Bengal.

There were rumors that India was preparing to launch the K-4, a nuclear-capable missile meant for submarine launch. The Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) created the missile, which can carry warheads up to two tons in weight.

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A NOTAM advisory was sent out last week in advance of the test. Notification to Airmen, or NOTAM, is the term for notifications that are used to declare an area off-limits to flying. The warning, which was for the Bay of Bengal region, was interpreted as a blatant sign that India was preparing a missile launch, which might happen at any time between March 11 and 16. The NOTAM alert designates a 3,500-kilometer no-fly zone that extends well south of the Bay of Bengal.

The events off the coast of India occured a few weeks after alarms were raised in New Delhi by another Chinese ship of the same class.

The Xiang Yang Hong 03 landed in the Maldives last month and is currently surveying the area off the coast of Sri Lanka. Following President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives’ request for the withdrawal of Indian forces, tensions between New Delhi and Male increased. After Muizzu became President of the Maldives last year, ties between India and the country have never been better. After meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Muizzu had declared, “We may be small, but this doesn’t give them the licence to bully us.” The comment, which omitted any nation names, was spotted.

India has downplayed the relationship’s tension. When questioned about ties between the Maldives and India, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar stated that neighbors depend on one another. “Geography and history are extremely potent factors. There’s no getting around that.”

Before the Chinese vessel docked in Male last month, the Maldives had said it would not conduct any research but will only come for “rotation and replenishment”. Still, India’s worries extended beyond the Maldivian waters. The ship has been traveling in a zigzag pattern through the waterways between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.