SPY SHIP

Context

About the Ship

• The Yuan Wang 5 is a Chinese Research and Survey vessel.
• Yuan Wang-class ships are used to track satellites and rockets and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches, China has around seven of these, capable of operating throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
• The ships supplement Beijing's land-based tracking stations.
• The Yuan Wang 5 was built at China's Jiangnan Shipyard and it entered service in September 2007.
• The 222- Metre-long, 25.2-metre-wide vessel has state-of-the-art tracking technology.
• Its last monitoring mission was the launch of China's Long March 5B rocket.
• It was also recently involved in maritime monitoring of the launch of China's Tianhong space station's first lab module.

The trip to Sri Lanka

• According to the Belt and Road Initiative Sri Lanka (BRISL), the Yuan Wang 5 will enter Hambantota port- a strategically important deep-sea port developed mostly using loans from Beijing for a week and will likely leave on August 17 after replenishment.
• The Yuan Wang 5 will conduct satellite control and research tracking of China's satellites in the North Western part of the Indian Ocean region through August and September

India's Concerns

• The Yuan Wang 5's significant aerial reach reportedly around 750 km raises concerns about the possibility of several ports in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh being on China's radar.
• Reports have claimed several vital installations in South India could be under threat of being snooped upon.
• The government carefully monitors any development having a bearing on India's security and economic interests and takes all necessary measures to safeguard them.

• India and the US have repeatedly flagged concerns that Chinese control of Hambantota port could harm their interests in the Indian Ocean by becoming a hub for the PLA Navy.