MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines said Tuesday, April 15, that at least three of five underwater drones found in waters across the archipelago bore indications that these were China-made and were “likely” deployed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“There is a 55 to 80% likelihood that this was deployed by the Chinese Communist Party. Why 55 to 80%? It’s because of the components inside. Not all of them have markings that they were made in China,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson of the Navy for the West Philippine Sea, said in a briefing on Tuesday, April 15.
“They have the capability to receive, to store, to process, and to transmit data by satellite communications,” he added.
The drones were found from 2022 to 2024 by fisherfolk in different areas in the country, from Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Masbate, and Misamis Oriental.
The Navy’s conclusions — based on “level 1 forensics” — cover only three of the five drones collected. Level 1 means only the physical characteristics of the drone, including its markings, were part of the study.
Trinidad highlighted the following in a briefing to media:
- The drone recovered from Masbate contained CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth) sensors, “suggesting advanced underwater monitoring”
- The drones recovered from Calayan Island and Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte had CTD sensors and Acoustic Vector Sensors. The sensors “underscores the technological sophistication of the devices and their ability to gather detailed undersea data,” according to the AFP.
- “Forensic analysis reveals components linked to the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), a major military-civilian integrator, including potential ties to its 18th Research Institute, suggesting a likely Chinese origin for the submersibles.”
Trinidad did not disclose if and from where the Philippines received assistance in conducting forensics on the drones but said “like-minded nations who would like to see the rule of law remain in the South China Sea, in the Indo-Pacific region” were involved.
The information the drones could and were likely to have gathered could have been used for scientific, commercial, and even military purposes.
“In today’s generation of warfare, information is key. He who holds information will have an advantage. Any potential adversary who would like to harm our country would need to know the information not only on land, on air, but more importantly, since we are an archipelago, underwater information. These drones give them that information,” explained Trinidad.
It’s not just about navigation.
“[It’s about] underwater warfare — [the] propagation of sound, how to detect other threats underwater, how your weapon system will perform underwater. These are all impacted by the depth of the water, by salinity, by temperature, and other factors,” said the Navy general.
The existence of the drones were first made public in late 2024 as tensions between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea continued to rise.
The West Philippine Sea is an area within the South China Sea that includes Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). But Beijing claims almost 80% of the South China Sea and rejects a 2016 Arbitral Award that affirmed the extent and limits of the Philippines’ sovereign rights in those waters.
The drones are part of a bigger picture that security, defense, intelligence, and law enforcement agents in the Philippines have been piecing together: of Beijing’s attempts to create networks of influence and a capability to monitor the Philippines. – Rappler.com