An Indian Kilo class submarine and Chinese warships,on their way to the Gulf of Aden to patrol the pirate-infested waters,reportedly engaged in an hour-long game of hide and seek in international waters last month. Chinese media reports said its warships two destroyers were sent last month forced the Indian submarine to surface after more than an hour of manoeuvres during which anti-submarine helicopters were scrambled. While Indian Navy officers acknowledged keeping track of the Chinese warships as they transited from the Strait of Malacca to Somali waters,they denied that the Indian submarine was made to surface. It is a routine procedure. We do keep track of warships transiting near Indian waters through all means possible. But reports of the Indian submarine having surfaced are incorrect, said a senior Navy officer. Chinese media reports said the incident took place on January 15 near Bab el-Mandeb Strait that separates Yemen and Djibouti. The Chinese warships,the reports said,picked up the Indian submarine on the sonar and there were rounds of manoeuvring during which both sides tried to test for weaknesses in the others sonar system.
