A spy ship or reconnaissance vessel is a dedicated ship intended to gather intelligence, usually by means of sophisticated electronic eavesdropping. In a wider sense, any ship intended to gather information could be considered a spy ship.
Exercise Talisman Sabre is a biennial, multinational military exercise led by Australia and the United States. Talisman Sabre involves joint exercises performed by the Australian Defence Force and the United States Military across six locations in northern and central Australia, the Coral Sea, and in Honolulu, Denver, and Suffolk, Va., though the bulk of the exercises are concentrated at the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area and other locations in northern and central Australia and Australia's territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.
Naval trawlers are vessels built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes; they were widely used during the First and Second World Wars. Some, known in the Royal Navy as "Admiralty trawlers", were purpose-built to naval specifications; others were adapted from civilian use. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust vessels designed to work heavy trawls in all types of weather, and had large clear working decks. A minesweeper could be created by replacing the trawl with a mine sweep. Adding depth charge racks on the deck, ASDIC sonar below, and a 3-inch (76 mm) or 4-inch (102 mm) gun in the bow equipped the trawler for anti-submarine duties.
Admiral David Lance Johnston, is a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy. He served as Deputy Commander Joint Task Force 633 on Operation Slipper in 2010, Commander Border Protection Command from 2011 to 2013 and, following promotion to vice admiral, was posted as Chief of Joint Operations from 2014 until 2018. Johnston was appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Force in July 2018. He was promoted to admiral and appointed Chief of the Defence Force on 10 July 2024.
Operation Pathways, formerly known as Pacific Pathways, is a program run by United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) and carried out by I Corps with the goal of expanding the Army's engagement in the Pacific region and reducing costs. It involves linking multiple military exercises together to create a "Pathway". The concept of the program was first created by General Vincent K. Brooks in 2014. Previous Pathways have included exercises in Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Palau, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States.
Type 813 spy ship is the first purpose-built, indigenously designed spy ship entering service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
Type 814A spy ship with NATO reporting name Dadie(大谍, meaning Big Spy) is a type of Chinese spy ship in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Originally, a total of four ships were planned, but eventually, only one was completed due to the availability of newer designs.
Type 917 rescue ship (ARS) is a type of rescue and salvage ship developed by China for its People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). A total of two ships have entered service by mid-2014, and more units are planned. Type 917 is the first ship in PLAN to adopt a trimaran hull, and hence received NATO reporting name Dasan class, or 大三 in Chinese, which is short for Da-xing (大型) San-ti-chuan (三体船), meaning Large Trimaran.
The Type 631 tanker is a type of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and has received NATO reporting name Fuchang class. Originally designed as a type that is capable of transport both water and oil, but only the oil tanker version entered service with PLAN.
Type 645 tanker is a type of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and this type has received NATO reporting name as Guangzhou class. Originally designed as a coastal oiler that is capable of transport both water and oil, around twenty-three entered service, with four as water tankers and sixteen as oilers. This class has begun to be retired from active military service in the mid-2010s.
Duchuan class dispatch boat (YFL) is a class of little known naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), With the exact type still remains unknown, it has received the NATO reporting name Duchuan class, or 渡船 in Chinese, meaning Ferry Boat. A total of three units of this class have been confirmed in active service as of 2022.
Fushi class tanker is a class of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and has received NATO reporting name Fushi class. The exact type remains unknown, and a total of eight of this class have been confirmed in active service as of early 2020s. The hull is adopted for both transport oil tanker (AOT) and water tanker (AWT).
Fubai class tanker is a class of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and has received NATO reporting name Fubai class. The exact type designation remains unknown, and a total of four of this class have been confirmed in active service as of early-2020s.
Type 927 acoustic surveillance ship is a type of vessel used by the People’s Liberation Army Navy. There are three known Type 927 ships, plus one predecessor Ruili No.10, which is slightly larger than Type 927 ships, and it was used to test onboard systems such as sonars for the three Type 927 ships. The first Type 927 ship was launched around June 2017 in Guangzhou. Type 927 has received NATO reporting name Dongjian class, 东监 in Chinese, meaning East Surveillance, because the West first observed it performing acoustic surveillance missions in East China Sea.
Xiang Yang Hong are a class of Chinese oceanographic survey and research ships. These were among China's first ocean survey vessels.
Beijixing is the lead ship of the Type 815 spy ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). She was originally named Dongdiao. Her main task is to monitor and analyze electronic signal intelligence. It may also conduct tactical ballistic missile tests, missile trajectory measurement and missile tracking tasks.
Operation Argos is the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the international effort to enforce United Nations' sanctions against North Korea. The operation began in 2018, and is ongoing. The Australian effort is focused on detecting ship to ship transfers of contraband goods. It involves periodic deployments of aircraft and warships.
Type 8105 naval trawler is a Chinese auxiliary ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Type 8105 along with Type 792 and Type 8154 naval trawlers have all received NATO reporting name FT-14 AIT class, meaning Fishing Trawler - 14 Auxiliary Intelligence-gathering Trawler. After retiring from their original role of a spy ship, Type 8105 naval trawlers have been converted to auxiliary minesweepers and survey vessels, and kept in operational reserve of the Chinese navy.
The Dachou class range support vessel/target ship (AGT)/torpedo retriever (TR/TRW) is a class of little known auxiliary ship built in the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Designed as a successor of earlier Type 917 torpedo retriever (TR/TWR)/target ship (AGT), the exact domestic Chinese type designation remains unknown, and this class is identified by its NATO reporting name Dachou class, or 大筹 in Chinese, meaning "big plan". Specification:
The Dupo class is a class of little known large harbor tugs (YTB) built in the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The exact domestic Chinese type designation remain unknown, and this class is identified by its NATO reporting name Dupo class, or 渡泊 in Chinese, meaning Crossing & Mooring.
PRC 
