Commercial sea drone films Chinese warship in Philippine waters
A $240,000 Seasats sea drone sailed close enough to film a Chinese Type 052D destroyer in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, in footage verified by Reuters.
California-based Seasats says its Lightfish sea drone sailed close enough to a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy ship to capture footage inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The video, filmed June 16 about 105 kilometers northwest of Luzon Island, was verified by Reuters, which identified the vessel as a Chinese Type 052D guided-missile destroyer worth roughly one billion dollars, based on its deck layout, superstructure, crane and mast matching archive imagery. The Lightfish drone itself costs about 240,000 dollars. China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said parties should avoid approaching Chinese naval vessels at close range to prevent accidental incidents. Source: Reuters.