China plucks suspected US Navy submarine detection probe from waters near South China Sea shoal
- State broadcaster posts video said to show retrieval of sonar device after being dropped by US plane
The moment was described on the video as “US military aircraft circling over the South China Sea and dropping unidentified objects”.
The video said the event happened “in recent days” but no specific date was given.
Chinese coastguard vessels immediately sailed to waters near the Second Thomas Shoal to retrieve and inspect the device, according to the video, which has been shared thousands of times on various social media platforms.
In the video, a battery specification label can be seen on a device with the words “Ultra Electronics” at the top.
According to the company’s website, Ultra Electronics is a British defence and security company that supplies the US Army. Its businesses include maritime communications, precision control systems and forensic technology.