Chinese ship caught hiding presence in Bay of Bengal: Report cites French maritime intel

An active Chinese vessel was “hidden” in the Bay of Bengal for several days near Indian waters and tried to stay concealed by switching off its Automatic Identification System (AIS), a French maritime intelligence company has revealed.

A report by the Economic Times has cited the company, which uses satellites to track ships in the high seas, saying that a 16-day-long survey of the Bay of Bengal tracked radio frequencies that showed nearly 10 per cent of ships operating in the region had turned off AIS, ticking off security concerns in India amid enhance China-Bangladesh ties.

The survey by Unseenlabs tracked 1,897 vessels during the period, with most transmitting legitimate AIS signals. However, 9.6 per cent showed no AIS activity, suggesting attempts to hide their locations.

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The French company flagged a particular Chinese research vessel that was in close proximity to Indian waters and was constantly present in the Indian Ocean.

The report said, “While not broadcasting AIS, its RF signature was consistent and traceable, enabling our systems to monitor its movement over several days… We suspect that this prominent Chinese research vessel was likely operating with strategic intent.”

The French company added that the Chinese vessel’s mission likely involved seafloor mapping, acoustic environment analysis, and identifying submarine transit corridors, activities that support surveillance operations and anti-submarine warfare preparedness.

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The Indian Navy and Coast Guard maintain close surveillance of maritime traffic near Indian waters and have consistently reported the presence of Chinese research vessels in recent years. In this instance, the Chinese ship was operating in international waters off India’s eastern coast, about 120 nautical miles from designated military zones.

While Chinese warships and submarines are already active in the Indian Ocean, naval planners believe it is only a matter of time before Beijing deploys its aircraft carriers to the region.