The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has confirmed the recovery of another submersible drone within Philippine territorial waters.
As reported by RH Edniel Parrosa, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, RADM Roy Vincent Trinidad stated that the device was found near Sabtang, Batanes, in February.
While the drone appears to be old, it is reportedly fully intact and shows significant indications that it is more high-end or military-grade.
Currently, Level 1 forensic analysis is being conducted on the recently recovered drone, while Level 2 analysis has been completed on the initial five drones recovered since 2022.
Trinidad stated that the findings will be submitted to the proper government agency to determine the next steps.
Authorities earlier noted, based on preliminary findings, that there is a 55 to 80 percent likelihood that the recovered underwater devices came from and were en route to China.
Meanwhile, Trinidad reported that the Chinese aircraft carrier previously spotted on April 22 may have already exited the country’s territory.
However, the Chinese aircraft carrier and accompanying vessels spotted in Northern Luzon reportedly did not respond to radio challenges before leaving Philippine territory.
