The yellow drone, marked “HY-119,” was retrieved by Filipino fishermen from the waters off Masbate Island in the central Philippines on Monday (December 30) and is suspected to be of Chinese origin.
Brigadier General Andre Dizon, police commander of Masbate, said the device is used to communicate with satellites and other surface units. He said it is capable of transmitting and receiving data and voice messages.
Some of the uses of the device, he said, include underwater surveillance, oceanographic research and naval operations. It can also be used as an anti-detection device.
“Based on the markings found, this was a Chinese underwater navigation and communication system,”
– Brigadier General Andre Dizon
The drone is a Chinese made “Sea Wing” glider, an underwater vehicle developed by Chinese Institution of Oceanology to augment the submarine fleet of China that can reach a depth of over 20,764 feet (nearly 6.4 km), surpassing the US world record of over 16,964 feet. It can detect and track enemy submarines.
According to H I Sutton (a regular Naval News contributor and submarine expert), a similar “Sea Wing” glider was recovered in December 2020 by Indonesian fishermen.
In a statement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad confirmed the turnover of a remotely operated submersible drone from the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the Philippine Navy.
“The Navy is currently conducting further investigation to determine its origin and purpose,” he said.
“We commend their vigilance and continued support in reporting suspicious activities and encourage ongoing cooperation to ensure the effective monitoring of our territorial waters,” he added.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy on West Philippine Sea matters, stated that they are not alarmed by the recovery of the underwater drone, explaining that its bright color is designed to make it visible from the air.
“We need to do further analysis on it to determine where it came from, what its purpose is, and what it was doing there,” Trinidad told reporters.
“Usually bright colors like yellow, red, orange, these are for scientific research or for fishing use like tracking of schools of fish for fishing purposes. They are designed to be seen from the air,” he added.
Asked as to why the alleged Chinese drone was in Masbate, Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, said Masbate is the midsection of the archipelagic Philippines and it’s strategic value is primordial because it is seen as a crossroad between Visayas and Luzon where the Benham Rise and West Philippine Sea are located.
The Benham rise is a resource-rich shelf on the Philippines’ east coast that is part of its exclusive economic zone.
“With its marine bounty and natural resources deemed as the pot of gold in the country with rich minerals like manganese, copper, silver, iron, chromite, limestone, guano, and carbon – China has found a new paradise to widen its strategic bulls eye in the Philippines,” Cabalza said.
The HY-119 submarine voyage, according to Cabalza, has a military and political message to the Philippines.
He said Beijing does a quiet encirclement underwater in a sophisticated and clever reconnaissance as it cements its grand strategy in our archipelagic country.
“It is also alarming that they are navigating in our internal waters after the enactment of the twin laws on maritime zones and archipelagic sea lanes. This naval camouflage is another wake up call to the Philippines to venture in acquiring subs for deterrence and modernization of our naval fleet,” Cabalza said.
Another expert, Sherwin Ona, a political-science professor at De La Salle University in Manila and visiting fellow at the Institute for National Defence and Security Research in Taiwan, said Philippine authorities know that China has been very active in mapping our sea lanes and lines of communication
“I believe that this is part of its hybrid and gray zone strategies against 1st island chain nations such as the Philippines,” he said.
For him, the Masbate area is crucial because it can act as an alternative lane for reinforcing our position in Benham Rise and the West Philippine Sea.
“We can also expect that these drones can be used to map communication lines and for possible submarine operations. This explains why the AFP has been adamant on anti-submarine and sub-surface capabilities. There have been numerous reports of submarine sightings in Philippine waters,” Ona said.
“However, we do not have the capability then to conduct surveillance and anti-submarine operations,” he added.
Last month, a Russian attack submarine, Ufa, a Kilo II-class diesel-electric submarine, surfaced 148 km (80 nautical miles) west of Occidental Mindoro province, in the Philippines.
But the AFP said that the attack submarine was apparently awaiting better weather before heading to the port of Vladivostok, in eastern Russia.
