The escalating, so far mostly verbal conflict with China may have just heated up following a Reuters reports that China has seized an unmanned, underwater US navy vehicle inside off international waters in the South China Sea, and that the US has issued a formal statement demanding the return of the vehicle.
According to CNN, which has a slightly different take on events, a US oceanographic vessel Thursday had its underwater drone stolen by a Chinese warship literally right in front of the eyes of the American crew.
In the latest encounter in international waters in the South China Sea region, the USNS Bowditch was sailing about 100 miles off the port at Subic Bay when the incident occurred, according to the official.
Bowditch had stopped in the water to pick up two underwater drones. At that point a Chinese naval ship that had been shadowing the Bowditch put a small boat into the water. That small boat came up alongside and the Chinese crew took one of the drones.
The US got no answer
from the Chinese on the radio when it said the drone was American
property, the official said cited by CNN. More details:
As they turned away, the Chinese did come up on the radio and indicated they were returning to their own operations.
US oceanographic research vessels are often followed in the water under the assumption they are spying. In this case, however, the drone was simply measuring ocean conditions, the official said.
The Pentagon has not officially commented on the incident.
Although it's unclear what the motivation was for the Chinese, the seizing of the drone comes on the heels of other provocative incidents that have happened since President-elect Donald Trump received a congratulatory call with Taiwan's President, a violation of the US's agreement with China's "One China policy". China publicly voiced their disapproval of that incident and contacted the White House at the time.
This "seizure" takes place one day after China's influential state-run tabloid, the Global Times, called for a plan to take Taiwan by force and make swift preparations for a military incursion. The article urged China to rebalance its stance towards Taiwan to "make the use of force as a main option" and carefully prepare for possible moves toward independence.
It also follows a series of warnings to the Trump administration by Chinese diplomats, in which they cautioned that China will not allow the "One China" policy to be used as a bargaining chip, something Trump hinted he was willing to do in a Fox News interview last Sunday.
on.cc東網專訊
【on.cc東網專訊】 美國國防部指中國戰艦在南海海域，奪走美國海洋探測船的無人水下探測器。一度有消息指事件主角為屬於藍鰭-21型號，但美國傳媒指，該無人探測器為「史洛坎滑翔機」（Slocum Glider），是美國海軍近年致力發展的尖端水下探測儀器。
由美國軍人組成的私人研究機構海軍研究所(USNI)指出，涉事探測器屬水下滑翔機，常用作海洋調查工具，並主要由海軍派出收集數據，以製作海圖及海洋模組。該滑翔機通常在投放在海域數月之久，再將數據傳送回海軍手上。USNI沒說明水下滑翔機型號，但美國傳媒就指是「史洛坎滑翔機」（Slocum Glider）。
史洛坎滑翔機與傳統潛艇型水下航行器不同，使用類似重型魚雷上的熱動力技術，因此續航力和推進效率遠高於普通的電動水下航行器。該系統還可以在水下編隊航行，實施大範圍的情報蒐集。2014年美國海軍與泰里達因公司簽署協議，花費2.03億美元將這種無人水下航行器用於軍事用途，每架水下航行器價格約5萬美元，每次加油需要2850美元。
USNI指，涉事滑翔機並非海軍最先進儀器。不過，據近年西方傳媒報道，史洛坎滑翔機為美軍重點發展的諜報工具，在海底探察敵方的潛艇。中國內地媒體的軍事觀察員就質疑，南海是中國部署戰略核潛艇的關鍵海域，美國海軍在此作海洋水文探測，動機可疑。
美國海軍軍事專家沃特海姆（Eric Wertheim）表示，無人機技術對未來的海軍行動來說，是極其重要的領域，他指涉事的無人水下滑翔機技術程度，雖然與其他無人機相比較低，但中方已展露出對有關領域的興趣，任何外國的相關資料都將會對研究有用。
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