OUR DRIVE-A Chinese underwater monitoring system was discovered by fishermen in strategic waters between the islands of Bali and Lombok, precisely north of Gili Trawangan Island, last week.
The 3.7 meter long device has now been confiscated by the Indonesian Navy to the Mataram TNI AL Base for further investigation.
Indonesian Navy spokesperson, Rear Admiral tungul, said that a thorough examination would be carried out to identify the device, including its intended use, stored data, and its origin.
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Defense analyst HI Sutton identified the device as a Deep Sea Real-Time Transmission Mooring System developed by China’s 710 Research Institute.
The institute is known to focus on underwater attack and defense systems.
According to Sutton, the device is capable of monitoring current, depth, temperature, as well as “sound and target information.”
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The device has a visual identity in the form of the letters CSIC (China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation) and the company logo.
The system works by sending data to the base via communication buoys on the surface, while sensor units are moored to the seabed.
“It is likely that the Indonesian authorities are concerned because a Chinese-made sensor buoy has been found in the area,” Sutton said, alluding to the device’s potential military uses.
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Responding to this discovery, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he did not have specific details, but emphasized that their marine research activities have always been in accordance with international law.
“Based on international practice, it is not unusual for marine research equipment to drift into the territorial waters of other countries due to damage or other reasons. There is no need for excessive interpretation or suspicion,” the spokesperson told the ABC.
However, Collin Koh, a senior researcher at Singapore’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, assesses that the sensor array is “capable of conducting undersea warfare”.
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He highlighted that the device’s acoustic sensors can detect submarines, although the signals need to be sent to shore stations for processing.
“This is often the problem we face with this kind of dual-purpose technology involving marine scientific research and data collection,” Koh said.
Meanwhile, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) considers these findings worrying and shows a “level of aggressive behavior” by China in anticipation of future military activity in the region.***
