{"id":4842,"date":"2021-01-04T23:36:08","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T23:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=146133"},"modified":"2021-01-04T23:36:08","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T23:36:08","slug":"indonesian-navy-probes-sea-glider-drone-found-in-national-waters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/01\/04\/indonesian-navy-probes-sea-glider-drone-found-in-national-waters\/","title":{"rendered":"Indonesian Navy Probes ‘Sea Glider’ Drone Found in National Waters"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Indonesian Navy said on Monday it was investigating the discovery of an unmarked underwater surveillance drone, which is capable of collecting military data, to determine its country of origin.<\/p>\n
As chatter about potential espionage swirled on social media, a defense ministry spokesman urged Indonesians not to jump to conclusions about where the drone came from after it was found in Indonesia\u2019s territorial waters off South Sulawesi province last month.<\/p>\n
Adm. Yudo Margono, the Navy chief of staff, said the military branch\u2019s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Center (Pushidrosal ) and the Ministry of Defense were investigating the mysterious unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), which is also known here as a sea glider.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have given Pushidrosal one month to investigate and reveal the results,\u201d Yudo told a news conference.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no marking indicating where it came from. \u2026The device is equipped with a GPS. Hopefully it can be traced to where it came from.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fishermen found the drone on Dec. 20 and handed it to the police six days later. It is two meters (6.5 feet) long, and has two 50-cm (19.6-inch) wings and an 18-cm (7-inch) propeller, Yudo said.<\/p>\n
This type of underwater vehicle is usually used for surveillance in the fishing and oil industries because of its ability to collect hydro-oceanographic data such as temperature and depth, the Indonesian navy chief said.<\/p>\n
It can also be used for military purposes, because it can help route submarines in a manner that makes them undetectable to sonar, he noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn essence, this tool can be used to collect military and industrial data,\u201d Yudo said.<\/p>\n
No regulation<\/strong><\/p>\n Since the underwater drone was discovered, social media in Indonesia has been abuzz with theories about its country of origin.<\/p>\n Jatosint, a Twitter account that says it provides open-source information on Indonesian security and defense, said the drone sounded similar to a Chinese UUV called Sea Wing.<\/p>\n If the drone is proven to be Chinese, it \u201c[r]aises many questions, especially how it managed to be found deep inside our territory,\u201d Jatosint tweeted.<\/p>\n A Chinese Sea Wing was found in 2019 off Indonesia\u2019s Riau Islands, and a similar device was found in waters off East Java in January last year.<\/p>\n Malcolm Davis, with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told the website of Australia\u2019s ABC News that the latest discovery was noteworthy because the UUV was found in a crucial maritime route linking the contested South China Sea to Darwin, the northernmost Australian city.<\/p>\n While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesia\u2019s exclusive economic zone.<\/p>\n In Indonesia, military analyst Connie Rahakundini Bakrie urged the public not to speculate about the drone\u2019s origin.<\/p>\n \u201cBe careful about accusing a country. It could be made in China or Britain, but was the user from that country?\u201d she told the Metro TV news broadcaster.<\/p>\n Still, Sukamta, a member of House of Representatives\u2019 defense committee, said Indonesia needed to be vigilant about any potential threat to its sovereignty.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause [the drone] went deep into Indonesian territory, it is a sign that our maritime territory can be easily penetrated by foreigners,\u201d Sukamta said in a statement.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Indonesia has no regulations on unmanned underwater vehicles, said Yudo, the naval chief.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be better if there is a presidential decree that regulates the use of sea gliders in Indonesia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Susaningtyas Nefo Handayani, a military observer and a former member of parliament, also called on the government to draw up regulations on the operation of UUVs.<\/p>\n \u201cUUVs have been used by many developed countries at sea. So, we must be vigilant and be prepared,\u201d Susaningtyas told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.<\/p>\n \u201cThe government must also install underwater detection devices throughout the Indonesian archipelago to monitor underwater traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n