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Salvaged sea glider shows wide extent of Chinese surveillance

8th January 2021 - 19:30 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Christchurch

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Chinese sea gliders are roving far and wide across regional seas, as the latest discovery in Indonesia indicates.

Indonesian fishermen discovered an unmarked sea glider on 20 December, but it is highly likely that it was a Chinese-operated AUV tasked with collecting oceanographic data.

Pictures of the salvaged vehicle show it is identical to the Chinese-built Haiyi (which translates as Sea Wing). The Tianjin University-designed platform has a 1,500km range and 60-day endurance.

Such a sea glider is unpowered, using variable buoyancy for propulsion. It collects environmental data such as water salinity, temperature, turbidity and chlorophyll and oxygen levels.

The fishermen found it near Selayar Island to the south of Sulawesi. This places it on the fringes of

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Author

Gordon Arthur

Gordon Arthur was the Asia Pacific editor for Shephard Media. Born in Scotland and educated …

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