Five UUVs of unknown origin found in Philippine waters in 2024
Five unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) of unknown origin were recovered from various parts of the Philippines throughout 2024, an official of the Philippine Navy told local media on Tuesday, January 14.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the navy's spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said some of the UUVs were first discovered by local fishers, who then notified the police and the military about the presence of the unmanned craft.
Areas where the five UUVs were found include the Babuyan Islands and Ilocos Norte province in the north of the country, Misamis Oriental province, and Masbate province where the last sighting occurred in late December.
The cylindrical UUV found off Masbate has been handed over to the navy for proper disposal after an inspection showed that it was not carrying weapons or explosives.
The Philippine National Police had earlier said this UUV had "HY-119" written on its body. Although the actual origin of the craft could not be ascertained, officials said HY-119 refers to a Chinese-developed underwater navigation and communication system.
Trinidad assured that there was no cause for concern as the UUV's bright yellow colour implied that the submersible was designed to be visible even from the air, and that craft with such bright colours are usually employed for scientific research or fish stock assessment.
However, Rene De Castro, a security analyst and professor at the Philippines' De La Salle University, had reiterated that the UUV found off Masbate is a military-grade craft that had likely been used by China for seabed terrain mapping in Philippine waters prior to its discovery.
Trinidad also said that the two UUVs found off the Babuyan Islands were confirmed via an extensive forensic analysis as being designed to gather data on water temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels.
Trinidad said that although the information gathered by these two UUVs will have both commercial and academic value, this information could also serve military purposes.
