Admin l Friday, December 16, 2016
WASHINGTON – Tension is building up between the United and China over seizure of unmanned under water vehicle, UUV by China in December 15 in South China Sea.
According to Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook, the USNS Bowditch (T-AGS 62) and the UUV — an unclassified “ocean glider” system used around the world to gather military oceanographic data such as salinity, water temperature, and sound speed – were conducting routine operations in accordance with international law about 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay, Philippines, when a Chinese Navy PRC DALANG III-Class ship (ASR-510) launched a small boat and retrieved the UUV.
He said Bowditch made contact with the Peoples Republic of China Navy ship via bridge-to-bridge radio to request the return of the UUV.
“The radio contact was acknowledged by the PRC Navy ship, but the request was ignored”, he said, adding that the UUV is a sovereign immune vessel of the United States and called upon China to return the UUV immediately, and to comply with all of its obligations under international law.
P Using appropriate government-to-government channels, the Department of Defense has called upon China to immediately return an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) that China unlawfully seized on Dec. 15 in the South China Sea while it was being recovered by a U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship.
“The USNS Bowditch (T-AGS 62) and the UUV — an unclassified “ocean glider” system used around the world to gather military oceanographic data such as salinity, water temperature, and sound speed – were conducting routine operations in accordance with international law about 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay, Philippines, when a Chinese Navy PRC DALANG III-Class ship (ASR-510) launched a small boat and retrieved the UUV.
“Bowditch made contact with the PRC Navy ship via bridge-to-bridge radio to request the return of the UUV. The radio contact was acknowledged by the PRC Navy ship, but the request was ignored. The UUV is a sovereign immune vessel of the United States. We call upon China to return our UUV immediately, and to comply with all of its obligations under international law,” Cook said.
