US Says Chinese Warship Stole Navy Underwater Drone From South China Sea

A small drone capable of working underwater splashes into the Delaware Bay during a demonstration Wednesday, June 22, 2016, in Lower Township, N.J. Routine commercial use of small drones was cleared for takeoff by th... A small drone capable of working underwater splashes into the Delaware Bay during a demonstration Wednesday, June 22, 2016, in Lower Township, N.J. Routine commercial use of small drones was cleared for takeoff by the Obama administration Tuesday, June 21, 2016, after years of struggling to write rules that would both protect public safety and free the benefits of a new technology. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) MORE LESS
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says a Chinese warship seized a U.S. Navy unmanned underwater glider that was collecting unclassified scientific data in the South China Sea.

Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, says the U.S. has issued a formal diplomatic complaint and is asking for the drone’s return.

Davis says a civilian U.S. Navy ship operated by the military’s Sealift Command was recovering two of the unmanned gliders about 50 miles northwest of Subic Bay near the Philippines when the Chinese ship approached and took one of the small vessels. He says the Chinese ship acknowledged radio messages from the U.S. ship, but did not respond to demands the glider be returned.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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