A 42-second clip recorded on June 16 by Seasats' 12-foot Lightfish USV shows a Chinese Type 052D destroyer about 65 miles off Luzon in the Bashi Channel, within the Philippines' EEZ. Seasats says the craft can remain on station for months, detect underwater acoustics, relay data via satellite, and capture close-range imagery. China did not comment; the Philippines warned against actions that could escalate tensions. Seasats also reports prior encounters with Chinese warships and says its technology has attracted substantial defence contracts.
Underwater Drone Films Chinese 'Ghost Ship' 65 Miles Off Luzon — Private USV Captures Type 052D Inside Philippines' EEZ
Thermal image of a warship on the water.
A 42-second video recorded on June 16 by a Seasats unmanned surface vessel (USV) shows what Reuters and the company identified as a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Type 052D guided-missile destroyer roughly 65 miles off Luzon Island in the Bashi Channel — inside the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Seasats, a San Diego startup, told The California Post that its drone, the Lightfish USV, was "conducting a commercial operation to prove the feasibility of autonomous operations in the Taiwan Strait." Obtained by CA Post
Seasats, a San Diego startup, says the vessel was identified by 'the deck layout, superstructure, crane and mast' which matched archived imagery of that destroyer class. The company believes this is the first time a private U.S. firm has captured video of a Chinese naval ship operating so close to a U.S. treaty ally.
The ships can be operated far from shore. The boats listen for acoustic messages underwater, which it then translates into radio signals that it beams up to satellites and back to the ships' operator on shore. Seasats
About the Lightfish USV
The footage was taken by the Lightfish, a 12-foot autonomous skiff that Seasats describes as the smallest craft in its lineup. The Lightfish can be transported on the back of a pickup truck and is engineered to remain on station for months. Seasats says the platform can:
Three Seasat unmanned surface vessels floating on the water. Seasats
- Report vessel coordinates and capture imagery at close range
- Monitor weather and sea-state conditions
- Detect submarine acoustic signatures and translate underwater acoustics into radio signals
- Relay data via satellite to shore-based operators
- Spot smuggling and illegal fishing activity
According to Seasats, the boats listen for underwater acoustic messages, convert them into radio signals, and beam those signals to satellites for transmission to a remote operator on shore.
China did not acknowledge the ship in comment to Reuters. The Phillippines appeared to warn China, saying that it is reminding "all parties to avoid actions that would escalate tensions, especially if found trespassing through the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone." 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.
Regional Reaction and Previous Encounters
China declined to comment to Reuters about the specific sighting. The Philippines issued a warning reminding 'all parties to avoid actions that would escalate tensions, especially if found trespassing through the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone.'
Seasats says it has had multiple encounters with Chinese warships while operating in the region. In a previous mission, the company reported that a Lightfish encountered 'multiple Chinese warships' within Taiwan's EEZ; none of those vessels were broadcasting identity information via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). Seasats says the Lightfish was able to track and capture images confirming vessel types and origins during that transit, which the company calls its first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait.
'In this era of ubiquitous satellites and sensors, it may surprise some that a ship can hide in the ocean environment,' Declan Kerwin, chief of staff at Seasats, said. 'That's why these long-range autonomous vessels are so compelling. They can provide maritime awareness where shore-based radars can't reach.'
Seasats has raised roughly $40 million from private investors and reports about $100 million in government contracts to date. The company says its covert long-range USVs have attracted defense interest because they can operate persistently and discreetly in contested waters.
Context: The sighting highlights growing use of long-endurance autonomous vessels for maritime monitoring and the tensions that surround naval operations in the South China Sea and adjacent waterways, including the Taiwan Strait and the waters around the Philippines.
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