Navy: Drone found off Cagayan contains data on body of water

Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy has completed the forensic analysis of one of the drones recovered off Calayan Island in Cagayan, saying it contained bathymetric data, or the depth, temperature, salinity and other features of a body of water.

The drone was one of five recovered by the Navy last year in various parts of the country and one of two drones found on the same island off Cagayan province.

Another one with Chinese markings was discovered off San Pascual town in Masbate on Dec. 30, and the United States was helping in the forensic analysis of the device, a procedure that might take six to eight weeks.

READ: US to help examine drone found off Masbate

“The forensic analysis has been completed on the first drone, the one turned over to us from Calayan Island. It gave information, the forensics gave the results that the information gathered focused more on bathymetric data such as depth of water, salinity, temperature, and sound signatures,” Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said at a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Tuesday.

“The data collected,” according to Trinidad, “could have applications across different fields, to include the military.”

Trinidad has yet to disclose the origin of the drone and where it could have sent the data it collected, but he said that they would soon “identify, definitely” the receiver.

He earlier described the drone as the “deploy and forget” type, adding that these just transmit information to the mothership.

Asked about the implications of the recovered drones on national security, the Navy official pointed to “a subtle effort to map out the country’s maritime domain, even our human terrain, our political system, our critical infrastructure.”

“And if we start connecting the dots, it seems that this deliberate effort is being conducted by a foreign power,” he added.

Last week, authorities arrested a Chinese national and two Filipinos for alleged espionage activities targeting military sites and power installations in the country.