For her ninth war patrol, "I-162" deployed to support Operation Ke — the evacuation of Guadalcanal as the Guadalcanal campaign ended in a Japanese defeat — by conducting diversionary operations off the northwest coast of Australia. Departing Surabaya on 26 January 1943, she conducted a reconnaissance of Cocos Island in late January 1943. On 14 February 1943, the United States Navy submarine attacked her off the Lesser Sunda Islands east of Thwartway Island at . "Thresher" fired two Mark 14 torpedoes, one of which failed to detonate, while the other missed and exploded without damaging "I-162". "I-162" opened fire on "Thresher" with her deck guns, turned north, and escaped unharmed. She returned to Surabaya on 16 February 1943.