A small California-based drone maker, Seasats, says one of its sea vessels sailed close enough to a Chinese warship operating inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone to capture what it believes is the first footage of its kind recorded by a private U.S. firm.
Details of the Encounter
The Philippine Coast Guard reported an increased presence of Chinese maritime forces, including warships, in the area last year compared to 2024. The Seasats footage is striking less for what it shows of the Chinese vessel than for what it reveals about the changing nature of war: a small drone that costs about $240,000 can get close to – and theoretically threaten – a billion-dollar warship.
Seasats CEO Mike Flanigan said, “We’re able to go out and film and get up close and record all this data off of a Chinese ship.” The location where the videos were filmed was verified as 105 km (65 miles) northwest of Luzon Island by reviewing Seasats data.
The Chinese embassy in Washington said it was not familiar with the situation and had nothing 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.”
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
