Five aquatic drones suspected to be of Chinese origin have been recovered in Philippine waters. According to the Philippine Navy, the drones were designed to collect both commercial and military data, including information useful for underwater warfare.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for the Philippine Navy, confirmed the details in a press briefing on Tuesday. He said that three of the drones were recovered in 2023 and two more in 2022. All five were found by local fishermen in northern and southern waters of the country, in areas considered strategic chokepoints.
One of the drones, found near Calayan Island in August, stood out to investigators because it was mostly intact. Inside, they discovered a SIM card from China Telecom and components linked to China’s defense industry.
Trinidad explained that the drone gathered mathematical data and information on underwater sound movement. While this type of data has scientific and academic uses, it can also support military operations.
“The last known contact of the SIM card was traced to mainland China,” Trinidad said, responding to a question from This Week in Asia. “That’s the only info we have,” he added.
He also noted that this particular drone, like another one recovered off Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, in 2022, had acoustic vector sensors. “They were designed not to be retrieved,” he said.
The Philippine Navy has been working with both local and international experts to analyze the drones further.
