India and China are in a long-running military standoff in the cold mountains of Ladakh. At the same time, the two countries are also fighting at sea, thousands of kilometres away in the Indian Ocean.
China has sent a spy ship into the Indian Ocean because India is going to test the ballistic missile Agni-V in the Bay of Bengal next week. The Yuan Wang-5 is the name of this ship from China.
The Indian Navy says that this Chinese ship has been seen in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait. This is the same ship that came into Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port in August.
This ship weighs 20,000 tonnes and has a big antenna, advanced sensors, and other electronic gear. More than 400 people work together to run it.
India recently sent out a NOTAM notice saying that the Bay of Bengal is a no-fly zone. This is because on December 15 and 16, the Agni-V ballistic missile will be tested again from the Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
The Agni-V is said to have a range of 5,000 kilometres, which means it could hit deep into China. Because of this, this ballistic missile has made a lot of people in China very scared.
Now, we have to wait and see if the missile will be tested as planned or if the schedule will be changed. The time was changed last month when the Agni-III missile with a range of 3,000 km was tested.
Under the rules, ships from all countries are allowed to sail in international waters. India can’t stop this Chinese spy ship because of this. This ship is part of the Strategic Support Force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Its main job is to track satellites and ballistic missiles and help them. Chinese ships often go to the Indian Ocean to gather information and make maps for oceanography.
The PLA Navy (PLAN) of China is the largest navy in the world. It has at least 355 warships in its fleet. It has also set up logistics bases in Cambodia, Seychelles, and Mauritius, as well as in East African countries.
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