A small, commercially produced unmanned surface vessel recorded close-range footage of a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer operating within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, the vessel's manufacturer said. The Lightfish drone, produced by the California company Seasats, captured the images on June 16 while operating roughly 105 km northwest of Luzon Island, the company said.
The video was provided by the company to independent verifiers, who confirmed its authenticity. Verification of the target vessel drew on visual identifiers such as the deck configuration, superstructure profile, crane and mast, which matched archive imagery for a PSLA Navy Type 052D guided-missile destroyer. The date of the recording was corroborated by the original file metadata and the location by review of Seasats' operational data.
Seasats said the footage is notable not only for documenting a Chinese warship in waters where Beijing's maritime activity has been a growing source of regional friction, but also for illustrating how compact, commercially available drones can operate in close proximity to much larger and more expensive naval platforms. The company highlighted the contrast between the Lightfish's roughly $240,000 price tag and the billion-dollar class cost of a modern destroyer.
According to Seasats, the Lightfish is the smallest vessel in its current lineup, designed for rapid deployment and recovery. It can be carried and launched by one or two people from the back of a pickup truck, a small craft or a boat ramp, and the company says it can be recovered within minutes. The platform is hybrid-fueled for missions lasting up to six months and is rated to operate in Sea State 6 conditions, which can include waves up to 20 feet (about 6 meters).
The Lightfish has been equipped with electro-optical and infrared cameras, signals intelligence and electronic warfare payloads, and both active and passive sonar systems in past missions, Seasats said. The company noted that the small, low profile of its vessels frequently allows them to navigate without drawing immediate attention, though it acknowledged that both the drones and larger ships emit electronic signatures from radars and scanning equipment.
Seasats also said it has encountered a range of Chinese naval vessels over the years, including Type 052, Type 055 and Type 056 ships. The company has developed larger unmanned platforms as well. Its Quickfish drone is moving into production and features a payload bay intended to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles or potentially munitions, while a heavier class, Heavyfish, remains in the design stage.
On the diplomatic side, the Chinese embassy in Washington said it was not familiar with the situation and had nothing to share. The Philippine embassy responded by saying it would remind all parties to avoid actions that could escalate tensions, especially if those parties were found to be trespassing in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone. The Philippine Coast Guard has previously reported an increased presence of Chinese maritime forces in the area last year compared with 2024.
Seasats said it has raised more than $40 million in funding and has recently been awarded over $100 million in U.S. government contracts. The company described the Lightfish as a platform that can be launched and recovered quickly by small teams and that is designed for extended deployments. The contrast between the low-cost, versatile sensor platform and large naval vessels underlines evolving operational considerations for maritime security and surveillance.
Mike Flanigan, Seasats' CEO, summarized the capability succinctly: "We’re able to go out and film and get up close and record all this data off of a Chinese ship." The company reiterated that the Lightfish's design emphasizes endurance and adaptability for long-duration missions while maintaining a small physical and visual footprint at sea.