(na) Chinese Stealing Subsea Drone

airdale

airdale

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After all these news stories over all these days, the media still has not figured out what the US and the Chinese both know:

The drone was mapping the seas around the disputed islands to improve safety and effectiveness for attack subs that might operate in the area. In addition to mapping the sea floor, salinity and temperature have significant effects on sound propagation aka sonar. I'm virtually certain that our undersea measurement technology is far ahead of theirs, so you can bet that drone has been disassembled and studied during the time they have had it. It will be interesting (if we hear) to know whether it is returned in pieces or is reassembled.

Probably someone here knows more unclassified details related to this issue. I just brushed up against this area on some projects I have worked on and am not an expert.
 
Did we ever get the P-3 back from China? I know N. Korea still has the Pueblo.
 
More importantly, why did the Navy allow this to happen.?????. From the news reports it appears the Navy ship towing the sonar watched as the Chinese boat approached and took the drone. They did nothing to stop it!!!! WTF
 
If your not going to protect the Drone ,why would you launch it. Hope there is more to the story.
 
Perezhr said:
More importantly, why did the Navy allow this to happen.?????. From the news reports it appears the Navy ship towing the sonar watched as the Chinese boat approached and took the drone. They did nothing to stop it!!!! WTF
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The research ship with the drone was not a ship of war.
 
I could understand not wanting to fire on a Chinese vessel, but I'd think they'd have a way to scuttle the drone just in the event of something like this.
 
Perezhr said:
Thanks. That would explain it. Can't imagine a Navy ship with sailors would allow that to happen.
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Unless upper command would not let the navy do anything to prevent it.

Or maybe there is a secret listening device in the drone....
 
What is the big deal? The Chinese stole some if our stuff? This is the time to send in Dr. Jack Ryan!
 
From news reports I've read, the drone didn't have any classified equipment or capabilities. If this is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), then it wouldn't be any different than losing a UAV that you or I could buy (albeit, the Navy drone is probably more expensive)

Heck, it probably had some stuff marked "made in china"
 
News now reports they are giving it back
 
There were two drones. Navy picked up one while the Chinese swooped in to get the second.
 
This is the ship that was going to recover the drone (USNS Bowditch):

Bowditch.jpg


And this is what happens if you don't have good underwater maps (USS San Francisco):

0871115.jpg
 
Bob Noel said:
From news reports I've read, the drone didn't have any classified equipment or capabilities. If this is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), then it wouldn't be any different than losing a UAV that you or I could buy (albeit, the Navy drone is probably more expensive) ...
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The PRC is still going to be interested in what measurements were being taken, what sensors and interfaces were used, what precision the measurements were, etc. They'd probably be interested in exactly where the drone had been but that info is probably not stored on board, just in the mother ship.

They're probably working on their home-made-drone instrumentation shopping list right now.
 
The Chinese might have even been more interested in the design of the glider itself than anyone thinks. They really are pretty cool the way they work.
 
Kind of funny what you get for a response when you start taking phone calls from Taiwan.

International diplomacy is a carefully choreographed dance.


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JoseCuervo said:
Kind of funny what you get for a response when you start taking phone calls from Taiwan.

International diplomacy is a carefully choreographed dance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Not really. This ship (as well as its sister ships) have been having run-ins similar to this with the Chinese for over a decade. Only difference is they actually managed to grab the ROV this time.

They've already agreed to return it, which means they didn't find much to exploit.
 
US: Drone was mapping water temperature and salinity

China: Drone was removed as a safety precaution to shipping channels.

Both public statements when you read all the know facts: Complet Bulls#!t.

Now, I do not expect to know the real truth...but the fact that China steals US assets in international waters with nothing more than a "can we have it back pretty please" is what is alarming to me.
 
My google-fu shows that normally, research drones surface on a regular basis to transmit whatever data has been recorded and to get any directional changes sent to them. It's possible this drone didn't have any data stored on board, but the sensors themselves that record that data might have been of interest.

And it's entirely possible that China didn't care at all about what was inside that drone, or the drone itself, and only wanted to see what would happen if they stole it.
 
Matthew said:
And it's entirely possible that China didn't care at all about what was inside that drone, or the drone itself, and only wanted to see what would happen if they stole it.
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More than likely. They just want to see what it is doing and compare notes with what they already have. Not unlike the infamous EP-3 incident, but that was far more damaging.
 
Fearless Tower said:
More than likely. They just want to see what it is doing and compare notes with what they already have. Not unlike the infamous EP-3 incident, but that was far more damaging.
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I don't recall but did we ever get that plane back?
 
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Fearless Tower said:
More than likely. They just want to see what it is doing and compare notes with what they already have. Not unlike the infamous EP-3 incident, but that was far more damaging.
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And to embarrass Trump for his phone call.

Just like flying the bomber last week.

They will test him, incite him into reactions.
 
Nothing that a little remote controlled grenade wouldn't cure. "You want our UW drone? Help yourself. (Hee, Hee, Hee!)"
 
JoseCuervo said:
And to embarrass Trump for his phone call.

Just like flying the bomber last week.

They will test him, incite him into reactions.
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Maybe, but my point is they have been doing that kind of stuff throughout the last two administrations.
 
Matthew said:
Surely we didn't apologize and reimburse them for expens... oh, wait...
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No, BHO wasn't POTUS back then.

I'm referring to the tech and crypto gear they were able to exploit before they gave it back.
 
Trump camp takes credit for getting the drone returned......



2fdaad5de9f8fbf3dec6c831f38295d9.png



Trump tells China to keep it.....

This is how we deal with international incidents....
 
Blame it on Tricky Dick, he opened the door, or were you old enough to remember that?
 
JoseCuervo said:
Trump camp takes credit for getting the drone returned......
Trump tells China to keep it.....
This is how we deal with international incidents....
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Gotta remember we have the ability to make that ship disappear (poof)
And the ability to say WTF happened?
 
Tom-D said:
Gotta remember we have the ability to make that ship disappear (poof)
And the ability to say WTF happened?
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Yeah Sinking our own ship would be surprise.


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It's a commercially available drone. Nothing super duper high tech or classified about it. Which is probably why the Chinese decided they didn't want to play with it anymore.

If they decided to hold on to it, and we failed to act, I'd seriously question our primacy on the world stage... would seem to suggest that we're not as powerful or capable as we've been told we are.
 
Here is what really happened:
The Chinese actually thought it was a manatee at first so they got buck fever thinking about grinding the poor creature up for sales to herbal medicine shops. Once they realizes it was just a piece of plastic junk that they had manufactured just up the road in chong chau, they turned it loose.
 
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