In a Lunar New Year post, the Chinese coastguard has given a rare look at the role of uncrewed aircraft in training and operations near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The post features drone operator Qiu Canhui, who described using his rest time to study footage and improve drone stability during stand-offs with foreign vessels.
A Lunar New Year post published by the Chinese coastguard on February 18, 2026, has revealed its growing reliance on drones at Scarborough Shoal, a disputed reef in the South China Sea also known as Huangyan Island. The post spotlights Qiu Canhui, a drone operator and videographer aboard the Wanshan vessel. He described using his rest time to study video footage, learning to minimize interference from wind, waves, and ships to keep drones steady while filming stand-offs between the coastguard and vessels from other countries.
The post detailed an incident where Qiu stood on the ship's deck for five hours to film a foreign vessel attempting to enter waters claimed by China. He endured hours of intense sunlight and steadied himself as his own ship maneuvered and the foreign vessel constantly changed position. It also described how a new officer used free time to learn drone and helicopter landing and take-off operations from senior officers. An experienced officer said he had been instructing new officers on these drone skills in hopes they could one day pass vocational tests.
This post provides insight into the Chinese coastguard's use of uncrewed aircraft in training and operations amid territorial disputes involving Beijing and Manila, with references to the Philippines and US Marine Corps Forces in the Pacific. Keywords include drones, UAV, MQ-A Reaper, and GJ- models.
