- A Chinese Type 815 Dongdiao-class spy ship shadowed U.S. and Australian naval exercises near the Philippines on Oct. 31.
- The incident underscores China’s expanding surveillance operations in the Indo-Pacific and its monitoring of allied military activities.
A Chinese electronic surveillance vessel was spotted tracking joint U.S. and Australian naval exercises inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone this week, according to images released by the U.S. Navy and highlighted by open-source defense observers.
Photos published by the Navy show sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) operating a rigid-hull inflatable boat ahead of the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155) on October 31, 2025, during a Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) in the western Pacific.
As noted by the account PLA Military Updates, a faint silhouette of another warship appears in the background of one image — identified as a Type 815 Dongdiao-class electronic intelligence (ELINT) ship belonging to China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The ship was reportedly trailing the exercise as U.S. and Australian forces conducted drills near the Philippines’ coast.
The social media account, which frequently tracks PLA movements, drew attention to the incident with a touch of irony, posting:
“Type 815: Joint patrols? Nah, let me jam some radars, I am just making some ‘Freedom of Navigation’ sails.”
The Type 815 vessel, known to NATO as the Dongdiao-class (“East Investigation”), is part of China’s expanding fleet of spy ships that routinely monitor allied operations in the western Pacific. Its successors, the Type 815G and Type 815A, are referred to as Dongdiao II-class ships. These vessels are equipped with large sensor domes and electronic arrays used to intercept communications, radar signals, and other forms of military telemetry.
The appearance of the Chinese surveillance ship during multinational drills underscores Beijing’s persistent intelligence-gathering efforts across contested waters in the South China Sea and nearby areas. The Dongdiao-class is often deployed near Taiwan and within the vicinity of the Philippines, monitoring maritime exercises involving the United States and its regional partners.
According to the U.S. Navy, the joint Maritime Cooperative Activity with Australia was conducted to “reinforce coordination and partnership in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.” While the Navy’s statement did not mention the Chinese vessel directly, the visual evidence suggests that PLAN surveillance assets were actively observing the operation.
The USS Fitzgerald, homeported in Yokosuka, Japan, is a key surface combatant of the U.S. Seventh Fleet and regularly participates in joint operations aimed at maintaining maritime security. The HMAS Ballarat, an Anzac-class frigate, is one of Australia’s front-line warships involved in regional engagement and allied exercises.