Yuan-Wang-6

The Indian Navy is planning to stop the 'Yuan Wang 6' from entering the country's Exclusive Economic Zone, claiming that the vessel is a spy ship sent to the Indian Ocean Region to track India's missile tests. The move is seen by experts as hindering the rebuilding of mutual trust after years of standoff in the countries' border regions. The vessel entered the Indian Ocean region on Nov 4, 2022, via the Lombok Straits. Indian law forbids any survey, research or exploration there by a foreign nation without permission. However, Indian officials said that the ship was actually in the Indian Ocean to monitor Chinese satellite launches planned on Nov 12 and at the end of the month. The 'Yuan Wang 6' has taken part in 73 maritime monitoring and control missions, including China's Shenzhou manned spaceship missions.

Ship spotters and technophiles alike received a rare treat when a Chinese Yuan Wang-class “space tracker” vessel docked at Queens Wharf in Auckland earlier this week. The Yuan Wang 6 - the name means “long view” - is the latest and most advanced of six space tracking vessels that China maintains to track and support its satellites, manned space missions and, it is widely reported, long range missile tests. Report with photo at http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/space-tracker-docks-at-auckland