China is mapping the ocean floor as it prepares for submarine warfare with the U.S.

A nuclear-powered Type 094A Jin-class ballistic missile submarine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy in waters during a military display in the South China Sea in April 2018
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SYDNEY –
China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the ⁠Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S
stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data shows
In October 2024, it checked on a set of powerful Chinese ocean sensors capable of identifying undersea objects near Japan, according to Ocean University, and visited the same area again last May
And in March 2025, it criss-crossed the waters between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, covering approaches to the Malacca Strait, a critical chokepoint for maritime commerce.According to the university, the ship was carrying out mud surveys and climate research
But a scientific paper co-written by Ocean University academics shows it has also conducted extensive deep-sea mapping
Navy officials say the type of deep-sea data being collected by the Dong Fang Hong 3 — via mapping and placement of sensors in the ocean — is giving China a picture of the subsea conditions it would need to deploy its submarines more effectively and hunt down those of its adversaries.

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