The Pentagon on Friday demanded the return of an unmanned US underwater vehicle (UUV) which China seized in the South China Sea about 50 miles northwest of Subic Bay. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the UUV was unlawfully seized while a US Navy oceanographic survey ship was retrieving it. The USNS Bowditch 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 when a PRC Navy ship Dalang III launched a small boat and retrieved the UUV, Cook said.

Katigbak, J., & Laude, J. (2016, December 18). US to China: Return our underwater drone. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 9.