Skip to main content

China tracking India's underwater activities in Ladakh's Pangong Tso through new anti-submarine warfare techniques.

Latest satellite imagery shows China is tracking the depths of Pangong Tso as well through new techniques used for anti-submarine warfare by navies around the world.

Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh (Image | go2ladakh)

Since the time the Indo-China border standoff began, the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) has been keeping the surface of Pangong Tso under surveillance through high-speed patrol crafts such as Type 305 and Type 928D boats copied from Swedish CB-90 boats.

But latest satellite imagery shows China is now tracking the depths of Pangong Tso as well through new techniques used for anti-submarine warfare by navies around the world.

On July 31, India Today OSINT team had reported the presence of at least 13 boats between Finger 4 and Finger 8.The boat squadron was boosted by at least eight new boats from a major base at Rimutang to Kunrak Fort and Finger 5, barely 2.5 km from Finger 4.

And now, latest satellite images from depth areas, especially Chinese military airports, show a trend not noticed before.

PLAAF sub-surface reconnaissance

The PLA Air Force has started closely monitoring underwater activities in Pangong Tso. It is using special aircraft attached with a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) boom at the tail end for reconnaissance of the lake.

These special aircraft, such as Y-8 GX6 or Shanxi Y-8 transporter's Gaoxin-6 or High New 6 variant, are used for anti-surface as well as anti-submarine warfare by the PLA Navy.

The instruments onboard can detect minute variations in the Earth's magnetic field, which is used to detect submarines, but also minerals and rare soil hidden under the surface. These aircraft have been observed on satellite imagery at Hotan, Korla and Wudun.

Latest satellite imagery of Wudun airport indicates that a Y-8 GX6 was parked there on August 24. This aircraft has a smaller MAD boom than previous versions. The aircraft is in yellow primer, indicating that it is still under trial. There are at least four aircraft with such new and shorter MAD booms at the Xian-Yanliang airbase where they are manufactured.

Chinese surface surveillance

Since the Doklam standoff, China has increased air activities along the Indo-Tibet border. In fact, surveillance along the border has increased in the last three years. China has been keeping an eye on Indian areas through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) located at Lhasa, Shigatse, Hotan, Akesu, Wudun and Uxxaktal.

China recently conducted an exercise to test the Wingloong 2 UAV under adverse weather conditions and communication outage. The rocket-powered hypersonic UAV was first tested from Uxxaktal airbase last year indicating very strongly that it was used against India.

The Indian Navy's P8-I surveillance aircraft is also being used for detecting such underwater activities by China's PLA in Pangong Tso and Spangur Tso areas in Eastern Ladakh. However, India needs to be more cautious of these sub-surface activities and keep monitoring them.


Source


Labels:
Location: Cavalier Tower #56-04, 1st floor, Gubbi Cross, Opp Decathlon, DR Bendre Layout, Kothanur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560077, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Explained: What is Army Aviation Corps, the youngest Corps of the Indian Army

A look at the Army Aviation Corps’ history and its relevance in modern day battlefields, including in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism (CI-CT) operations. Representative Image The Army Aviation Corps (AAC), the youngest Corps of the Indian Army, celebrated its 35th Corps Day on November 1. We take a look at the arm that adds an air dimension to the Army’s capabilities, its history, and its relevance in modern day battlefields, including Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism (CI-CT) operations. The roots of Army Aviation Corps The origin of the AAC can be traced back to the raising of the Army Aviation wing of the Royal Air Force in India in 1942, and the subsequent formation of the first Indian Air Observation Post in August 1947. The Air Observation Post units primarily acted as artillery spotters – which are the elements that help the artillery in directing the fire and also giving air support to ground forces. In the wars of 1965 and 1971, the Air Observation Post helicop...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explained: India-US defence deals - BECA, LEMOA & COMCASA

At 2+2 meeting next week, the two countries will look to push intelligence sharing pact BECA . With key deals LEMOA and COMCASA already signed, what does it mean for defence, particularly in light of LAC standoff? India and US have signed the LEMOA in 2016, COMCASA in 2018 and BECA is scheduled for the third 2+2 ministerial meeting (on November 3rd) India and the US are preparing for the third 2+2 ministerial meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark T Esper in New Delhi on October 26-27. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E Biegun visited India last week to lay the groundwork for the high-level visits 2+2 in 2018. One of the items on the agenda will be the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) — a pact with deep military implications. In the last two meetings, agreements known as LEMOA and COMCASA were signed; now, with BECA, these have been dubbed the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

India's S-400, Nuke Subs, Rafales pose a serious threat to Pak - FM Qureshi

India’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems, via a deal signed last year and worth $5.43 billion, has unnerved Pakistan, with Foreign Minister Shah Mohammed Qureshi describing the S-400s as destabilising weapon systems which could affect the region's strategic stability. Delivery of the first S-400 system is likely to take place in 2020. Expressing his apprehension about the arms purchase by India, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mohammed Qureshi has called on global powers to be "mindful" of their responsibility in terms of arms supplies to the region. "The introduction of new destabilising weapon systems, such as the S-400 anti-ballistic missile system, could further accentuate challenges to strategic stability. They can encourage a misadventure by an adversary, under a false sense of security," FM Shah Mohammed Qureshi said on Wednesday in Islamabad. Last October, India inked a $5.43 billion defence contract with Russia to purchase of five S-400 air...
Post a Comment
Read more