Chinese Warship Seizes US Underwater Drone — Pentagon

The seized drone deployed by an American oceanographic vessel. (Representational photo)

Washington, 17 Rabiul Awwal 1438/17 December 2016 (MINA) – A Chinese warship captured a US unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) that was collecting unclassified scientific information in the South China Sea, the Pentagon revealed Friday.

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“The United States has through their proper diplomatic channels demarched the Chinese, demanding return of our stuff,” KUNA quoted the Pentagon as saying in a statement.

Although the US vessel made contact with the Chinese to demand the device’s return, the request was “ignored,” said the statement.

The(UUV) was “lawfully conducting a military survey in the waters of the South China Sea,” said Spokesperson Jeff Davis to reporters.

“It’s a sovereign immune vessel, clearly marked in English not to be removed from the water – that it was US property.” “This is not the sort of conduct we expect from professional navies,” Davis added.

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The Chinese vessel came within 450 meters of a US oceanographic survey ship when the “ocean glider” was seized. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

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