Chinese PLA Navy's Sunken Spy Vessel is Traced by Indian Navy Using US-Origin P-8 Poseidon

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Chinese PLA Navy's Sunken Spy Vessel is Traced by Indian Navy Using US-Origin P-8 Poseidon

The warships of China and India rarely work together on international waters. In response to a request from the Chinese PLA Navy, the Indian Navy's US-made P8I Poseidon surveillance aircraft assisted in the search and rescue (SAR) operation of a sunken Chinese fishing vessel in the Southern Indian Ocean region on May 17.

According to Commander Vivek Madhwal, the Indian Navy's spokesperson, "In a swift humanitarian action on May 17, Indian Navy deployed its Air Maritime Reconnaissance assets in the Southern Indian Ocean Region, approximately 900 Nm from India, in response to sinking of a Chinese fishing vessel Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028 with 39 crew onboard." Since then, all 39 members of the Chinese ship's crew have apparently vanished.

Despite bad weather, P8I aircraft conducted several, thorough searches and discovered numerous things that might be associated with the sunken ship, according to Commander Madhwal.

The Lu Peng Yuan Yuan Yu vessel's crew was made up of people from the Philippines, Indonesia, and China. The Indian aircraft (P8I) responded immediately by deploying search and rescue equipment at the location at the request of PLA (N) ships sealing the area, according to the Indian Navy's Spokesperson.

About 267 nautical miles separate the Chinese surveillance fishing vessel from the strategically significant Diego Gracia outpost of the US and UK armed troops in the Southern IOR. The Chinese ship's catastrophe occurred 900 nautical miles off the coast of India, south of the Maldives.

A file photo of P8I and an area map of the SAR site were tweeted by the Indian Navy from its official Twitter account. "In a display of India's obligations as a credible and responsible partner for ensuring safety at sea, the Indian Navy units also coordinated SAR efforts with other units in the area and guided the PLA(N) warships transiting to the scene of the incident," the Indian Navy added.

An Indian Navy official stationed in South Block (Delhi), which houses the Ministry of Defence and Navy Headquarters, stated that the Indian Navy "continues to remain deployed to provide all possible assistance to the ongoing SAR efforts."

After the conflict in the Galwan Valley in 2020 in Eastern Ladakh, the fleets of India and China had never previously worked together on international waters.

In 2017, the Chinese and Indian navy collaborated on anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, but it was back when the two Asian adversaries' relations were not 'abnormal.

The Indian Navy is prepared to oppose Dragon's sway in the area as the Chinese PLA (Navy) increases its presence in the Indian Ocean region. The Indian Navy continues to keep them under surveillance as soon as they enter India's maritime territory because the Chinese PLA (Navy) typically deploys 3–7 ships in the Indian Ocean region at any given time.

Although neither navy has ever formally acknowledged it, India's P8I, often known as the "Hunters," has frequently located PLA submarines.

The Indian Navy purchased P8I aircraft from the US corporation Boeing in 2013, and on the 10th anniversary, or May 15, they had operated for 40 000 hours. Eight P8Is are now stationed with INAS 312 Squadron at the INS Rajali Naval Air Base in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, for the Indian Navy.

On May 15, 2013, the first P8I arrived at INS Rajali, with Capt. H. S. Jhajj serving as the initial Commanding Officer. After a decade of varied naval operations, a senior officer of the Indian Navy stated that INAS 312, more commonly known as "Albatross," has been in the forefront of all naval operations since then.

Over the past ten years, P8I has led activities in the air, on the surface, and below the earth's surface. The Squadron has consistently provided excellent service, protecting national interests as the first responder in IOR, as seen on May 17 when it assisted in identifying the Chinese fishing vessel's wreckage, which was 900 nautical miles from Cape Comorin in Tamil Nadu, India's most southern edge.