Drones found in PH waters 2022-2024 possibly from China

Underwater drone found by local fisherfolk off the waters of San Pascual, Masbate on Dec. 30, 2024. (Photo: PRO-5 via PNA)

By Priam Nepomuceno, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – Three of the five submersible drones recovered in Philippine waters from 2022 to 2024 could have been deployed by China, a ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official said on Tuesday.

National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya likewise said forensic examination conclusively determine that they are of Chinese origin.

In a press briefing Tuesday, PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said there is a “55 to 80 percent likelihood” that the undersea platforms were deployed by China.

“There is a 55 to 80 percent likelihood that these were deployed by the Chinese Communist Party. Why 55 to 80 percent is because of the components inside. Not all of them have markings that were made in China. Others are available commercially off the shelf. They have the capability to receive, to process, to store, and to transmit data through satellite communications to a station on land, to a mothership, or to other drones,” he added.

And while this is not categorical, Trinidad said there is a large chance of a possibility.

“We are not categorically stating where they came from, but there is a 55 to 80 percent likelihood per the report,” the PN official said.

Trinidad said the first submersible drone was recovered in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte in July 2022; the second off the Zambales coast in September 2022; the third in Calayan Island, Cagayan last August 2024; the fourth in Initao, Misamis Oriental in October 2024; and the fifth in San Pascual, Masbate in December 2024.

Trinidad described the third drone as the most intact one.

He added that all five drones were subjected to a Level 1 forensics examinations which focuses on physical description, weight dimensions, colors and markings,

Examination on the first and third drones revealed that they are fitted with conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) sensors; while the integrated chips were sanitized or defaced.

“Others had defaced markings to probably prevent reverse engineering or to hide the identity of the source,” Trinidad said.

“There was an iridium transceiver with serial number HWA Create. HWA Create is a company that focuses on defense, civil, government and industrial solutions, the headquarters of which is in Beijing. There was a China Telecom SIM (subscriber identity module) card. The information gathered focuses on bathymetric data. It also collects information on sound propagation underwater.”

Meanwhile, the fourth drone also has CTD sensors and has its battery pack marked with “China Electronics Technology Corps.”

Trinidad said that no data can be obtained from the second drone as this was recovered in a seriously damaged condition while the fifth drone is still being analyzed.

Data recovered from the intact drones revealed focus on bathymetric data, depth of water, salinity, temperature, (and) propagation of sound.

“They are also in all likelihood deployed by China to map the Philippines’ underwater terrain,” Malaya said in a message to reporters.

Malaya said this is alarming because of the implications on national security.

“This only shows that we need to undertake more maritime patrols in more parts of the country to stop these types of activities,” he said.