Drone recovered off Masbate could be used for ''undersea warfare'': Navy
The submersible drone that was recently recovered off the waters of Masbate could also be used for "undersea warfare" and not just for scientific research, a Philippine Navy spokesman said Tuesday.
In a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Navy spokesman Commander John Percie Alcos said that "while initial observation suggests that it may be a submersible use for scientific research or fish tracking, alternative perspectives point to possible military applications."
Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad explained that the recovered underwater drone is "designed to gather bathymetric data, or data that pertains to the depth of water, the salinity, the temperature"
"In today's world, that information crisscrosses different dimensions. What is useful for academic purposes, for commercial purposes, for scientific research also has military applications... that will include undersea warfare," he said.
"The broader domain is called undersea warfare. And all of this information is useful also in undersea warfare," he added.
Trinidad also noted based on the physical description of the drone it could have been launched by a surface ship.
"This could be launched by air, by surface ship, or by submarine. The absence of any attachments for airdrop capability would rule out an air launch platform. Since the wings are not foldable, then we could rule out a submarine launch method for this. So most likely, this was launched from a mothership, a mother craft. it is not large enough to travel far distances. It needs a mother ship," he said.
However, both Navy officials assure that "the AFP is on top of the situation" and are taking the matter seriously noting that "a six to eight week forensic analysis is ongoing to determine its origin, its purpose, and technical specifications".
"The analysis will examine the object's physical structure, electronic components, power source and any possible stored data," Alcos said.
Trinidad said it is not the first time that drones were recovered off the Philippine waters.
"It is not a one-stop shop thing. That after August, another one I think came out again in September so we're trying to look at the bigger picture. Just because no reports come out, doesnt mean your AFP is timid or not doing anything. We're trying to look at the bigger picture and correlate their numbers," he said.
"This time of the year, during the rainy season and if there are storms many of these equipment were washed ashore," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
