US spy drone seen over South China Sea headed for Taiwan, Chinese think tank says
- United States could be seeking to track Chinese navy’s underwater activities in the region, observer says
- It comes as Washington steps up military presence after formally rejecting most of Beijing’s claims to the waterway
The US Navy MQ-4C Triton – a long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle – was seen flying towards the southeast of Taiwan at about noon on Wednesday, according to the SCS Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Peking University think tank.
It said a US P-8A anti-submarine aircraft and a KC-135R aerial refuelling aircraft were also seen on Thursday flying southwest of Taiwan over the South China Sea.
The Triton drone seen on Wednesday is part of the US Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force. Operated autonomously using maritime sensors, it can work with the manned anti-submarine aircraft to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions over vast ocean and coastal regions.
02:32
Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions
Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military expert, said the US Navy could be seeking to track underwater activities by the Chinese navy.