A small California-based drone maker said that 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 approached a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ship off Luzon in waters where Beijing’s military presence has become a persistent source of regional tension.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 052D guided-missile destroyer Nanning sails into Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on July 2.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported an increased presence of Chinese maritime forces, including warships, in the area last year compared with 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 PLA Navy Type 052D guided-missile destroyer.
