SOURCE: AFI
China’s maritime presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is expanding once again, with the arrival of its next-generation deep-sea research vessel, Dong Fang Hong 03, spotted entering the area in late February 2025. This development follows the entry of its sister ship, Xiang Yang Hong 01, earlier in the month, signaling Beijing’s renewed focus on oceanographic exploration—and potentially strategic surveillance—in waters critical to India and its neighbors. As the Indian Navy keeps a watchful eye, the deployment of these advanced “silent” vessels raises questions about China’s intentions in this geopolitically sensitive region.
The Dong Fang Hong 03, often cited as the world’s largest “silent” research vessel, represents a leap forward in China’s marine technology. Delivered in 2019 to China Ocean University in Qingdao, this 103-meter, 5,000-tonne behemoth is designed for distant-water and deep-sea surveys. Its “silent” designation stems from its low-noise propulsion systems—electric azimuth thrusters and bow thrusters—allowing it to maneuver stealthily while conducting extensive research. With a crew capacity of 100 and specialized equipment for studying deep-sea ecosystems, microbial genetics, and polymetallic nodules, the vessel is a floating laboratory of unparalleled capability.
Posts on X, including one from open-source intelligence analyst @detresfa_ on February 28, 2025, at 09:53 IST, flagged the Dong Fang Hong 03’s movement into the IOR alongside the Xiang Yang Hong 01, which entered earlier in February. This pairing of advanced vessels amplifies concerns about China’s growing subsurface footprint, especially given their history of dual-use operations—scientific research intertwined with military applications.
The Xiang Yang Hong 01, a 4,500-tonne survey ship operated by the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), is no stranger to the IOR. Since its commissioning in 2016, it has conducted multiple expeditions, often coinciding with Indian missile tests or naval exercises. In March 2024, it was tracked in the Bay of Bengal during India’s Agni-5 MIRV test, raising suspicions of electronic snooping. Equipped with remote-sensing gear and capable of deploying underwater gliders, the vessel excels at mapping ocean floors and collecting hydrological data—information valuable for both civilian science and naval strategy, such as optimizing submarine stealth.
Its current deployment, starting February 2025, follows a pattern observed by maritime analysts: zig-zag trajectories suggestive of seabed surveys, often near strategic chokepoints like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands or the Malacca Strait. Paired with the Dong Fang Hong 03, this suggests a coordinated effort to deepen China’s understanding of the IOR’s underwater environment.
China’s research vessels have long been a thorn in India’s side, viewed as tools of Beijing’s military-civil fusion strategy—a policy blending civilian research with PLA objectives. The Dong Fang Hong 03’s advanced capabilities, including its ability to operate at depths of 10,000 meters and deploy unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), amplify these concerns. Such data—on currents, salinity, and bathymetry—can enhance submarine operations, sonar performance, and even missile tracking, directly impacting India’s maritime security.
The Indian Navy, equipped with P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and warships, is actively monitoring both vessels. The timing of their entry—shortly after India’s successful K-4 SLBM test from INS Arihant in January 2025—has not gone unnoticed. Past incidents, like the Xiang Yang Hong 03’s 2024 docking in the Maldives amid strained India-Maldives ties, underline a pattern: Chinese vessels often appear near India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or testing ranges during critical defence activities. “China’s silent ships are anything but quiet in their intent,” quipped a defence analyst on X, reflecting widespread unease.
NOTE: AFI is a proud outsourced content creator partner of IDRW.ORG. All content created by AFI is the sole property of AFI and is protected by copyright. AFI takes copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all legal options available to protect its content.