Sea Drone Films Chinese Warship in Philippines
PHOTO CAPTION: A Seasats Lightfish drone captured video of a Chinese Type 052D destroyer in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, July 29 — A commercial sea drone operated by a small California company captured video of a Chinese warship inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, in footage independently verified by Reuters.
Seasats, a six-year-old manufacturer of autonomous surface vessels, said its Lightfish drone approached a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy ship off Luzon Island on June 16.
The company believes it is the first footage of its kind recorded by a private U.S. firm.
China’s military presence in the area has become a persistent source of regional tension. The Philippine Coast Guard reported a greater presence of Chinese maritime forces, including warships, last year than in 2024.
The footage shows how a relatively small unmanned vessel can approach a much larger warship. The Lightfish costs about $240,000, while the Chinese vessel was a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer valued at roughly $1 billion.
The drone could theoretically pose a threat to a larger ship, though no hostile action occurred during the encounter described by Seasats.
“We’re able to go out and film and get up close and record all this data off of a Chinese ship,” Seasats CEO Mike Flanigan said.
Reuters verified the warship as a Chinese Type 052D destroyer by comparing its deck layout, superstructure, crane and mast with archived imagery.
Reuters also verified that the footage was recorded about 105 kilometers, or 65 miles, northwest of Luzon Island using data supplied by Seasats. The June 16 date was confirmed through the original file metadata.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said it was unfamiliar with the incident and had no information to share.
The Philippine Embassy said it would “remind all parties to avoid actions that would escalate tensions, especially if found trespassing through the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone.”
Seasats said its vessels have encountered Chinese naval ships several times over the years, including Type 052 and Type 055 destroyers and Type 056 corvettes.
The company said the drones’ small size and low profile often allow them to operate without being detected. However, both the drone and the warship can produce electronic signatures through radar and other electronic scanning systems.
Lightfish is the smallest vessel in Seasats’ current lineup. It can be transported on the back of a pickup truck and deployed from a small boat or boat ramp.
The drone can be carried and launched by one or two people and is designed to remain at sea for months.
Each hybrid-fueled vessel can conduct missions lasting up to six months and operate in Sea State 6 conditions, which can include waves as high as 20 feet, or 6 meters.
Lightfish vessels have carried electro-optical and infrared cameras, signals-intelligence and electronic-warfare payloads, and active and passive sonar systems.
Seasats has raised more than $40 million in funding and recently received more than $100 million in U.S. government contracts.
The company is also moving its larger Quickfish drone into production.
Quickfish includes a payload bay designed to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles or potentially carry munitions.
A third vessel, called Heavyfish, remains in the design phase.
(Source: Reuters)
