“Bali ‘X’ Files” -A sophisticated high-tech submersible vehicle that ran aground between Bali and Lombok has been positively identified as part of an unauthorized Chinese undersea monitoring system.
As reported by ABC Australia in an article by Will Jackson and Hellena Souisa, the vehicle, shaped like a small submarine, was discovered by local fishermen near an island off northwest Lombok in the busy straits separating Bali and Lombok.
The device, identified by defense experts as a Chinese-made component of an undersea monitoring system, is typically moored to the ocean floor by an anchor, linked to nearby floating buoys that transmit data to Beijing, PRC.
The ABC Report suggests that Chinese authorities are playing down concerns and claims of a territorial intrusion by a device deployed without the Indonesian government’s knowledge or prior authorization. Proclaiming, “there is no need for excessive interpretation or suspicion,” Beijing is dismissing statements by those alarmed by the discovery of the 3.7-meter-long “torpedo” near Gili Trawangan, Lombok.
The State News Agency Antara reports that the device has been relocated to an Indonesian Naval Base on nearby Lombok Island for closer examination. A Navy spokesperson said steps were underway to clearly identify the device, its origin and purpose, and to isolate any stored data.
Separately, HI Sutton, a maritime defense analyst, identified the machine as a Deep-Sea Real-Time Transmission Mooring System developed by the Chinese 710 Research Institute. Sutton says, “The institute focuses on underwater attack and defense.”
The 710 Research Institute is a Chinese state-owned part of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC/CSSC). The device displayed logos of CSIC.
Attempts by the ABC to elicit comment from CSSC have been unsuccessful.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports the device can record undersea conditions, and sense and report maritime vessels in the area.
Such devices are used by many countries, including China, the USA, Japan, and India, and can have both scientific and military applications by aiding submarine operations.
In an effort to minimize negative public exposure, Chinese government officials told the ABC that it is not uncommon for submersible vessels to malfunction and drift into other nations’ territorial waters. Adding: “There is no need for excessive interpretation or suspicion.”
ABC reports that Collin Koh, a maritime security and naval affairs expert, said such vessels are “undersea warfare capable”. Sensors on vessels can detect submarines and relay the information back to their home bases.
It is unclear if the stranded vessel was engaged in sea-floor mapping, possibly in cooperation with the Indonesian government. Apparently, the latest situation is not isolated, as a number of Chinese underwater drones have been found by Indonesian fishermen in recent years.
The head of the Information Bureau at Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Rico Sirait, is adopting a cautious stance vis-à-vis the Chinese vessel, saying Indonesia “does not want to draw premature conclusions or engage in speculation before official findings are available.” Sirait emphasized that examination of the device was still underway.
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