NewzThe Seasats Lightfish drone boat, similar to the one that approached the Chinese warship, on display at the 2026 Sea-Air-Space conference in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Reuters pic)WASHINGTON: A small California-based drone maker says one of its sea vessels sailed close enough to a Chinese warship operating in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone to capture what it believes is the first footage of its kind recorded by a private US firm.It shared the video taken on June 16 with Reuters, which has independently verified its authenticity.Seasats, a six-year-old producer of autonomous surface vessels, said its Lightfish drone boat approached a People's Liberation Army Navy ship off Luzon Island in waters where Beijing's military presence has become a persistent source of regional tension.The Philippine Coast Guard reported an increased presence of Chinese maritime forces, including warships, in the area last year compared to 2024.The Seasats footage is striking less for what it shows of the Chinese vessel than for what it reveals about the changing nature of war: a small drone that costs about US$240,000 can get close to - and theoretically threaten - a billion-dollar warship. In this case, it was a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Type 052D guided-missile destroyer."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.Reuters verified the identity of the vessel as a Chinese Type 052D destroyer by the deck layout, superstructure, crane and mast, which matched archive imagery.The location where the videos were filmed was verified as 105 km (65 miles) northwest of Luzon Island by reviewing Seasats data.
The date was verified by the original file metadata.China's foreign ministry defended the country's military, saying their activities followed international law and practices"We also wish to remind relevant parties to avoid approaching Chinese naval vessels at close range, as this could lead to accidental incidents at sea or in the air," ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on Thursday.The Philippine embassy said it would "remind all parties to avoid actions that would escalate tensions, especially if found trespassing through the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone."Seasats said it has had multiple encounters with Chinese naval vessels over the years, …
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