Archive · 17 Aug 2026
India warns China's underwater data collection not for peaceful purposes
Some very important leaders from India's navy gave a talk about dangers under the ocean.
They said China sends many ships to study the ocean floor near India.
The leaders worry this information could help China's submarines find their way.
They also talked about cables that lie under the sea and carry internet and phone data.
Almost all internet traffic between countries travels through these cables.
India has 24 of these cables, and they are almost full.
If one cable gets cut, it could cause big problems for the internet.
The leaders said India needs a plan to protect these cables, like some other countries have.
They spoke at a meeting in India about watching what happens under the sea.
Vice Admiral Anil Jaggi said China deploys about 64 research and survey vessels in the Indian Ocean to collect seabed, hydrographic and oceanographic data, warning the activities are 'certainly not for peaceful purposes alone.'
China is also deploying autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and underwater gliders, some of which have been recovered in Indonesia and the Philippines near strategically important sea lanes.
Former Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said 99 percent of intercontinental traffic runs on undersea cables and India's 24 cables are already 80-90 percent utilized, so even one cable cut could cause great damage.
Singh recommended India develop a seabed warfare strategy, citing France's approach and Royal Navy ships deployed for undersea cable protection.
The remarks came at a seminar on 'Advancing Underwater Domain Awareness Framework for India's Mahasagar Vision' organized by the Maritime Research Center (MRC), Pune, and the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi.
- Who
- Vice Admiral Anil Jaggi, Commandant of the National Defence Academy, and former Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh.
- What
- Warned that China's underwater data collection in the Indian Ocean poses security threats and urged India to strengthen Underwater Domain Awareness and develop a seabed warfare strategy.
- When
- Monday, at a seminar.
- Where
- A seminar organized by the Maritime Research Center (MRC), Pune, and the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi.
- Why
- To highlight threats from underwater data collection and undersea cable vulnerabilities to India's national security and economic lifeline.
- China's active research and survey vessels
- Approximately 64
- Data collected by Chinese vessels
- Seabed, hydrographic, and oceanographic data
- Intercontinental traffic on undersea cables
- 99 percent
- India's undersea cables
- 24
- Undersea cable utilization
- 80-90 percent
- Seminar organizers
- Maritime Research Center (MRC), Pune, and Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi
- Key speakers
- Vice Admiral Anil Jaggi and Admiral Karambir Singh
- Where Chinese-origin gliders/AUVs were recovered
- Indonesia and the Philippines