The incident you are referring to is a widely reported strategic maneuver by India that is often described in media and defense circles as a subtle act of “trolling” or tactical deception against surveillance ships from rival powers.
While the Indian government does not officially confirm “trolling,” the sequence of events is highly consistent and has occurred on multiple occasions, most recently in October 2025 and historically in November 2022.
Here are the full details of the latest reported incident (October 2025) and the strategic context:
The ‘Troll’ Incident (October 2025)
1. The Invitation (NOTAM Issued):
- Action: India issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) announcing a “No-Fly Zone” over a specific area in the Bay of Bengal for a 72-hour window, specifically October 15 to 17, 2025.
- The Signal: NOTAMs are standard procedures before a missile test, as they mark the projected missile flight path and impact zone. The significant size of the restricted area (reportedly around 3,550 km) suggested the test of a long-range strategic missile, likely a new or advanced version of the Agni series or the K-4 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM).
2. The Arrival of Spy Ships:
- Response: Shortly after the NOTAM was issued, Chinese and US intelligence-gathering vessels were observed moving toward the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to monitor the notified area.
- China: The Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 5 (a state-of-the-art missile and satellite tracking ship) made a rapid transit toward the area. China consistently deploys its Yuan Wang-class vessels near major Indian missile tests to gather crucial data on trajectory, range, and accuracy.
- US: Reports indicated the presence of a US surveillance ship in the IOR for the same purpose—to monitor and collect intelligence on a strategic missile launch.
3. The Cancellation (The ‘Troll’):
- Action: India suddenly and without official explanation cancelled the NOTAM and the scheduled missile test just before the window opened.
- The Effect: This left the advanced US and Chinese spy ships—which had traveled long distances and expended considerable resources to reach the target area—with no missile test to observe. This strategic move forced the vessels to either remain in the area on standby or leave without having achieved their surveillance objective.
Strategic Rationale
This tactic serves multiple strategic objectives for India:
| Objective | Explanation |
| Protecting Classified Data | The primary goal is to deny rival powers the opportunity to collect highly sensitive telemetry and performance data on India’s strategic missiles. |
| Tactical Deception | By repeatedly issuing and canceling NOTAMs, India makes it difficult for surveillance ships to predict genuine test windows, complicating their deployment and resource allocation. |
| Imposing Costs | Forcing highly specialized ships to deploy, only to have them return empty-handed, imposes significant operational and fuel costs on the rival navies. |
| Message to the World | It sends a clear message that India is aware of the surveillance attempts and is willing to use unconventional, low-cost strategic countermeasures in the maritime domain. |
