Overview

• Filipino fishermen found an approximately 12-foot unmanned underwater vehicle on September 28 off Linapacan in Palawan and turned it over to the Philippine Coast Guard the same day.
• Preliminary checks identified a compact salinity, temperature, and depth sensor with Chinese labeling and hardware consistent with autonomous underwater vehicles used for oceanographic profiling.
• Authorities opened an investigation to determine the device’s origin, operational history, and security risks, and released images of the unit for public awareness.
• Manila has previously recovered multiple similar drones since 2022, with at least three linked to Chinese deployment through China Telecom SIM cards, Iridium transceivers tied to HWA Create, and batteries marked by China Electronics Technology Group Corporation.
• Philippine officials and analysts say the pattern points to subsurface surveying that could support naval operations, prompting fresh calls for community reporting, forensic support, and allied assistance as Chinese survey activity increases in contested waters.