# Hey, Mister, can I have my drone back? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 16, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873 "2016-12-16T17:56:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/1 "2016-12-16T17:56:35Z")
[China steals US underwater drone in South China Sea](http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/12/16/china-steals-us-underwater-drone-in-south-china-sea.html) > [@](#): > > A Chinese Navy ship stole an American underwater research drone in a South China Sea area contested by the Chinese and the Philippines, two U.S. defense officials told Fox News Friday morning. The impudence! The sheer effrontery! Perhaps we should steal something of theirs. Hong Kong? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/2 "2016-12-16T19:23:17Z")
I wonder if it is booby trapped. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/3 "2016-12-16T20:28:13Z")
The claimed behavior by the Chinese Navy described in [this Reuters article](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-drone-idUSKBN14526J) is bizarre: > [@Reuters](#): > > Officials said the Bowditch was only 500 meters (yards) from the drone and, observing the Chinese intercede, used bridge-to-bridge communications to demand it be returned. > > The Chinese ship acknowledged the communication but did not respond to the Bowditch’s demands, Davis said. > > "The only thing they said after they were sailing off into the distance was: “we are returning to normal operations,” Davis said. \*US: “Hey, you have our drone, and we’d like it back.” China: “Acknowledged. Goodbye.”\* I wonder if this is related to [Donald Trump’s phone chat with Taiwan.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=813046) ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/4 "2016-12-16T20:47:44Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I wonder if this is related to [Donald Trump’s phone chat with Taiwan.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=813046) More than likely. Looking forward to hearing how the trumpster is going to resolve the situation with his smartness. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/5 "2016-12-16T20:55:35Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > More than likely. Looking forward to hearing how the trumpster is going to resolve the situation with his smartness. Give them money with no admission of guilt, then declare victory. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/6 "2016-12-16T20:59:34Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > The claimed behavior by the Chinese Navy described in [this Reuters article](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-drone-idUSKBN14526J) is bizarre: > > \*US: “Hey, you have our drone, and we’d like it back.” > > China: “Acknowledged. Goodbye.”\* > I wonder if this is related to [Donald Trump’s phone chat with Taiwan.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=813046) I don’t see anything at all bizarre in the Chinese behavior. What would have been bizarre is acknowledging a crime over unencrypted radio. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/7 "2016-12-16T21:04:52Z")
So one of our underwater drones has been shanghaied, is what I’m seeing here. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/8 "2016-12-16T21:11:17Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I wonder if this is related to [Donald Trump’s phone chat with Taiwan.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=813046) > [@Patch](#): > > More than likely. Looking forward to hearing how the trumpster is going to resolve the situation with his smartness. :rolleyes: Yeah, because there has never been any conflict between the 2 nations in the [South China Sea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_South_China_Sea_dispute)before… ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/9 "2016-12-17T16:10:23Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > :rolleyes: Yeah, because there has never been any conflict between the 2 nations in the [South China Sea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_South_China_Sea_dispute)before… Since Trump’s Taiwan call, we’ve had not only the drone-napping, but also anti-aircraft and anti-missile guns emplaced on _all seven_ of their new man-made islands (after Xi gave assurances they wouldn’t be militarized), and the first ever live-fire exercises of their first and only aircraft carrier, with plenty of convenient video footage released of them launching planes, missiles and blowing stuff up. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/10 "2016-12-17T17:11:30Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > More than likely. Looking forward to hearing how the trumpster is going to resolve the situation with his smartness. Here you go, hot off the twit’s twitter: > [@](#): > > China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/11 "2016-12-17T17:15:26Z")
That’s not true. If anything, China’s problem is it has too many Presidents. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/12 "2016-12-17T18:58:17Z")
There are underwater drones? ---
**Author:** ![pidgeon92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@pidgeon92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pidgeon92)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/13 "2016-12-17T19:25:06Z")
They’re giving it back. They’ve analyzed all of its data and have not found any of Hillary’s missing emails. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/14 "2016-12-17T19:45:25Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > There are underwater drones? There are lots of underwater drones, and this was a fairly boring, off the shelf, $150,000 drone. They range from small to [large](http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-adv-underwater-drones-20160722-snap-story.html) (132 feet!), but the coolest ones IMO are [the autonomous ones](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_underwater_vehicle)that roam the seas, periodically surfacing to recharge on wave and solar power. Even cooler ones don’t need to surface to recharge, as they use the ocean’s thermal energy for propulsion. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/15 "2016-12-18T01:53:37Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > The claimed behavior by the Chinese Navy described in [this Reuters article](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-drone-idUSKBN14526J) is bizarre: > > \*US: “Hey, you have our drone, and we’d like it back.” > > China: “Acknowledged. Goodbye.”\* > I wonder if this is related to [Donald Trump’s phone chat with Taiwan.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=813046) I wonder if this is somehow related to the fact that Obama is the current POTUS? I wonder if Obama will send those drone-snatching Chinese a sharply worded rebuke? ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/16 "2016-12-18T02:09:20Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I wonder if this is somehow related to the fact that Obama is the current POTUS? I wonder if Obama will send those drone-snatching Chinese a sharply worded rebuke? Yeah, China is just pranking the lame duck for the lulz, I’m sure. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/17 "2016-12-18T02:34:52Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I wonder if this is somehow related to the fact that Obama is the current POTUS? I wonder if Obama will send those drone-snatching Chinese a sharply worded rebuke? Perhaps they want to be on good terms with the USA before Donald gets the nuke codes. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/18 "2016-12-18T09:50:34Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Give them money with no admission of guilt, then declare victory. Nah… His actual response? Neener neener, I don’t want it anyway… ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/19 "2016-12-18T15:09:43Z")
Question: Do the Chinese have any underwater drones of their own? We could steal one of theirs, and then exchange 'em… This could be fun!!! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873/20 "2016-12-18T15:23:03Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Question: Do the Chinese have any underwater drones of their own? > > We could steal one of theirs, and then exchange 'em… > > This could be fun!!! Update to old joke: They have an entire underwater _fleet._ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-mister-can-i-have-my-drone-back/774873.md?page=2)