Captured underwater drone sent messages to China —Philippine military, this is one of five recovered by fishermen in PH waters.
Five underwater drones found by Philippine fishermen were capable of gathering information that could aid in “underwater warfare”, the country’s military said Tuesday, noting at least one had relayed a signal to China.
The revelation follows months of confrontations between the Philippines and China in the disputed South China Sea and comes as Manila prepares for large-scale military exercises with treaty ally the United States this month.
The drones were discovered between 2022 and 2024 in locations “important strategically in the defense and the security not only of the country but for international maritime navigation,” Philippine military officials told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.
Their data collection served purposes “beyond navigation”, according to Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, who said the information could be used for “underwater warfare,” detecting threats and testing weaponry below the surface.
