Fisherman’s haul of Chinese drone caught on video
Autonomous submarine found in Indonesian waters probably on covert mission to chart routes for Chinese military submarines.
Found deep in Indonesian territory, the 225cm-long unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) was brought ashore on Selayer Island, South Sulawesi, reports the Guardian. Experts say the drone is likely a Chinese-built Sea Wing, or Haiyi, tasked with charting Indonesian waters.
Developed by the Shenyang Institute of Automation, its publicly-stated purpose is the collection of oceanographic data, but according to military-focused outlet, Naval News, UUV data can be vital to military planners. It says: “The better a navy knows the waters, the better it is able to hide its submarines.”
The Chinese government has yet to comment and security analysts say there are significant questions to be answered as to whether the drone was being used for legitimate purposes or illegal intelligence gathering.
