A report in Naval News (January 2021) stated that the Chinese Survey ship, the Xiang Yang Hong 03, has been operating in a 500,000 square km area in the Indian Ocean. It has already caused controversy, accused of ‘running dark’, without broadcasting its position in Indonesian territorial waters. The report assessed that it is part of a major effort by China to systematically map the seabed across a vast swath of the Indian Ocean. Analysis of vessel tracking data shows that it is not the first time the ship has visited the area. Nor is it the only Chinese survey ship involved. The eastern Indian Ocean is likely to be of particular interest to the Chinese Navy as they expand their submarine capabilities. The data from these surveys may help submarines navigate, or improve their chances of remaining undetected. Two of the ships, the Xiang Yang Hong-01 and -16 have been conducting a very thorough search pattern over the Ninetyeast Ridge, an underwater mountain range with cuts across the Indian Ocean. Their disciplined racetrack patterns are indicative of mapping the seabed. For this, they would tow a high-resolution side-scan sonar. Between them, these ships have made multiple trips with each starting where the other finished. The reason for focusing on the Ninetyeast Ridge is unconfirmed, but it may particularly significant for submarine operations. It creates an almost uninterrupted chain of shallow water across the ocean where submarines may be liable to detection.
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