A Chinese underwater drone was caught by an Indonesian fisherman near a key waterway leading to Australia on Monday, local media reported.
The discovery of the “torpedo-like” object near the Lombok Strait comes at a time of increasing Chinese underwater activity in sensitive areas.
The waterway between Bali and Lombok is closely watched by the United States and Australia. It is one of the few deepwater routes that can accommodate submarine transits at operational depth and is also suitable for large naval vessels travelling between the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The device was found a few kilometres north of Lombok near the approaches to the strait while the fisherman was casting his nets. He became suspicious and hauled it to shore before contacting the local authorities.
Media reports said it was believed to be a “marine technology device” and police concluded there was no immediate threat after examining it for explosives or radioactive material.
The cylindrical object was about 3.7 metres (12 feet) long and 0.7 metre in diameter. Local police said these were “characteristics commonly found in observation devices or underwater survey equipment”.
Photos taken at the site showed the object bore the logo of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), along with several Chinese characters.
Some of the characters were obscured by sea debris, but they included a reference to a research institute.
CSIC is one of China’s largest shipbuilding conglomerates, which mainly develops submarines, naval vessels and equipment for underwater monitoring or surveys.
Australia, which will acquire nuclear submarines under the Aukus pact with Britain and the US, would rely on the Lombok Strait for a stealthy and rapid deployment of those vessels.
Several of China’s Southeast Asian neighbours have previously found unmanned underwater vehicles suspected to be of Chinese origin.
These include Indonesia and the Philippines, which have long-standing disputes with China over their maritime territorial claims.
Unlike the Philippines, Indonesia is not a rival claimant to the South China Sea. However, it has become increasingly critical of China’s claims and has protested against Chinese ships entering its exclusive economic zone north of the Natuna Islands, part of which extends into the South China Sea.
Even when unmanned underwater vehicles are ostensibly being used for research or survey purposes, the data they collect can have significant military and strategic value.
Police said further investigations into the origin and function of the object were under way, adding that it would be handed over to the Mataram Naval Base on Lombok.
One focus was whether there were any implications for national security or sovereignty, they added. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
