South China Sea Forum

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/586999/china-seizes-us-naval-probe.html

The underwater probe was taken around 50 nautical miles (90 kilometers) northwest off Subic Bay in the Philippines on Thursday afternoon in a non-violent incident, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said.

The event unfolded as the civilian-crewed USNS Bowditch was retrieving a pair of "naval gliders" that routinely collect information on water temperatures, salinity and sea clarity.

A Chinese Dalang-III class submarine rescue ship then stopped within 500 yards (meters) of the Bowditch and snatched one of the probes. The Americans safely hoisted the other one back onto their ship.

Davis said he could not recall another time when something like this has happened, and the Pentagon issued a statement calling on Beijing to "immediately" return the probe that it had "unlawfully seized."

The US personnel "were asking over bridge-to-bridge radio to please leave it there," Davis said.

Other than a brief acknowledgment that it had received the message, the Chinese ship did not respond.

"The only thing they said after they were sailing off into the distance was: 'We are returning to normal operations,'" Davis said.

Washington has issued a formal request through diplomatic channels to ask for the probe back. "It is ours. It is clearly marked as ours. We would like it back, and we would like this not to happen again," Davis said.

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said China had acted unlawfully. "The UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle) is a sovereign immune vessel of the United States. We call upon China to return our UUV immediately, and to comply with all of its obligations under international law," Cook said in a statement.

Davis said the seized vessel is off-the-shelf technology that is commercially available for about $150,000. Data it gathers are unclassified and can be used to help submarines navigate and determine sonar ranges in murky waters.

The incident comes amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, where China has moved to fortify its claims to the region by building out tiny reefs and islets into much larger artificial islands.

 

[patero]

Our J-20 is deployed and our Type 094G SSBN is on combat patrol. Time for tactical nuclear exchange. PLA is ready for war! Is USN ready to be vaporized?

This might seem like a strange comment to make on a military forum, but would it not be better to want a peaceful resolution rather than desire mass death and destruction?

Did not the Buddha say "In separateness lies the world’s greatest misery; in compassion lies the world’s true strength".

 

[Akasa]

The US should respond with sanctions on Chinese businesses or impose higher tariffs. They can't let anybody get away with theft of US property in international waters.

 

[maximuswarrior]

The US should respond with sanctions on Chinese businesses or impose higher tariffs. They can't let anybody get away with theft of US property in international waters.

We'll see if the US can do that.

 

[phancong]

Another way for China to learn the code transmitter and it signal from this captured UVS. China have UVS treasure on it hand. Know yourself and know your enemy that how you win in any war.

 

[Sugarcane]

Chinese sailors in the small boat came alongside the drone and grabbed it despite the radioed protests from the Bowditch that it was US property in international waters.

 

[phancong]

We'll see if the US can do that.

US can't do jack about this incident.

 

[Akasa]

We'll see if the US can do that.

With Obama in office? Expect another big red line for everybody to trample.

 

[21stCentury]

Stole? If anything, it's confiscating

 

[qwerrty]

"Captain Davis says a civilian US Navy ship"
US Navy "Underwater Drone" collecting "unclassified data"

?!

 

[Hindustani78]

Navy file photo of the T-AGS 60 Class Oceanographic Survey Ship, USNS Bowditch. US Navy

The drone was part of an unclassified program to collect oceanographic data including salinity, temperature and clarity of the water, the U.S. official added. The data can help inform U.S. military sonar data since such factors affect sound.

The USNS Bowditch, a U.S. Navy ship crewed by civilians that carries out oceanographic work, had already retrieved one of two of its drones, known as ocean gliders, when a Chinese Dalang 3 class vessel took the second one.

Officials said the Bowditch was only 500 meters (yards) from the underwater drone and, observing the Chinese intercede, used bridge-to-bridge communications to demand the drone be returned.

The Chinese ship acknowledged the communication but did not respond to the Bowditch's demands, Davis said.

"The only thing they said after they were sailing off into the distance was: "we are returning to normal operations," Davis said.

The United States issued the formal demarche, as such protests are known, through diplomatic channels and included a demand that China immediately return the drone. The Chinese acknowledged it but have not responded, officials said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish)

the Bowditch is an official U.S. Navy ship, it’s not a warship. The Navy lists the Bowditch as a Pathfinder-class survey ship, used primarily to “support worldwide oceanography programs, including performing acoustical, biological, physical and geophysical surveys,” according to the Military Sealift Command’s website. Essentially, the Bowditch makes maps. Its crew are entirely civilians as well — while the data it collects can be used for both scientific and military purposes, it’s not a combat vessel.

The seized drone is an “ocean glider,” according to the military. It’s a small, torpedo-shaped craft that glides beneath the waves collects various data. The drones are often used for weather research but have a variety of uses.

A Rutgers university ocean glider probably similar to the one siezed.

 

[Jlaw]

Please....the reality is China stole an oceanographic drone gathering scientific data in international waters. That makes you thieves. No wonder your neighbors have no trust in you.

The US will continue to conduct hundreds of missions per year in the SCS. This won't deter us.

oh please wig. scientific research operated by military ? try harder.

 

[terranMarine]

Ouchhhhhhhh, world's supa powa is crying China stole her underwater drone? It's called under our possession now through LEGAL act. The Iranians confiscated the Sentinel when it entered their airspace uninvited, now that a sea drone entered our territory uninvited we just simply took it in what's wrong with that?

Can anybody teach @F-22Raptor the definition of stealing - thief / confiscating - seized ?

We should dismantle, examine, reverse engineer if it's worthy, mail the dismantled parts back and charge the US for transportation fee.

 

[Desertfalcon]

That is good. It informs the world that when my country is accused of violating international law by those that oppose us, that it is inevitably by countries that have proven they really don't care about such law. It will give the next US president a freer hand when he needs to violate their sovereignty. They will have no grounds to complain when it happens.

 

[Jlaw]

?!

exactly. it's a civilian military ship with civilian weapons operates by US navy!
gotta give it to Americans. their propaganda is tricking a lot of Americans.

Ouchhhhhhhh, world's supa powa is crying China stole her underwater drone? It's called under our possession now through LEGAL act. The Iranians confiscated the Sentinel when it entered their airspace uninvited, now that a sea drone entered our territory uninvited we just simply took it in what's wrong with that?

Can anybody teach @F-22Raptor the definition of stealing - thief / confiscating - seized ?

We should dismantle, examine, reverse engineer if it's worthy, mail the dismantled parts back and charge the US for transportation fee.

the data will be examined. China does not need to return it. U.S. was operating in Chinese territory. U.S. thief got caught red handed.