According to information published by Hindustan Times on November 4, 2022, the Indian Navy is tracking a Chinese spy ship, Yuan Wang class Yuan Wang 6, which entered the Indian Ocean region a week ahead of a scheduled missile test by India over the Bay of Bengal.
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Chinese Yuan Wang class spy ship Yuan Wang 6. (Picture source: Chinanews)
The Yuan Wang-class of tracking ships are used for tracking and support of satellite and intercontinental ballistic missiles by the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
It is important to note that the class is not a single class of identical design, but instead, a group of different designs grouped under the same series that share the same name.
Detailed specifications for every ship have not been released by the PLASSF. Yuan Wang 1 and Yuan Wang 2 are thought to have a displacement tonnage of around 21,000 tons when fully loaded, with a crew of about 470 and a length of about 190 meters (620 ft). Their propulsion is from one Sulzer Ltd. diesel engine, with a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h).
Yuan Wang 6, like its sister ship Yuan Wang 5, is also a third-generation tracking ship of Yuan Wang series. Designed by the 708th Research Institute, construction begun in April 2006, and the ship was launched on March 16, 2007.
The ship entered service on April 12, 2008, and become fully operational in July 2008. Yuan Wang 6 utilizes fiber optic for its information system on board, and the electricity generated by the ship is enough to supply a city of 300,000.
