While China has said it will return an underwater research drone it stole from the U.S. in the South China Sea last week, the handover has yet to take place, the Pentagon said Monday.
“We continue to engage with Chinese officials on the details and the timing of the safe return of the UUV [unmanned underwater vehicle],” said Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook. “These conversations are ongoing.”
Pentagon sources indicated that the plan was to have the 6-foot-long ocean drone transferred from a Chinese ship to a U.S. warship in international waters, but that bad weather in the area was complicating the procedure.
“We are working out the logistical details with the Chinese, through appropriate channels, and when we have more to announce we will,” Cook said.
Other Pentagon officials insisted that under no circumstances would China be allowed to keep the drone, known as an “ocean glider,” which is U.S. military property.
“They won’t be keeping it, as some have suggested,” said one military officer, who was not authorized to speak for attribution.
The choice of the word “some” was indirect allusion to President-elect Trump, who tweeted over the weekend, “We should tell China that we don’t want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it.”
