Spotting China subs
PLAN continue to claim use for ‘counter piracy’ reasons.
Decoding Chinese submarine ‘sightings’ in South Asia
ABHIJIT SINGH
Last month, the Indian navy spotted a People’s Liberation Army navy (PLAN) submarine in the Indian Ocean, the first sighting of a Chinese sub in the region since the Doklam crisis last year, and the eighth such deployment in the region since 2013, supposedly for anti-piracy duties. Expectedly, it generated some anxiety in India’s strategic community where many viewed the development with exasperation and a growing sense of helplessness.
While China’s counterpiracy contingents have been a regular presence in the Indian Ocean region for over a decade, PLAN submarines were until recently a relatively uncommon occurrence.
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Source: orfonline.org