The U.S. Navy has retrieved an unmanned underwater vehicle that Chinese forces seized Thursday in international waters near Subic Bay.
The Defense Department said Monday China’s navy returned the Ocean Glider UUV to USS Mustin near the area where the vehicle was seized while performing routine operations.
DoD added the UUV is a sovereign immune vessel that operated in the South China Sea in compliance with international law.
The U.S. government addressed the incident with Chinese officials through diplomatic and military channels, DoD noted.
The department added U.S. will continue to investigate the incident and share findings with China as part of diplomatic dialogues and the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement Mechanism.