TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A fisher in Penghu County discovered an unmarked, solar-powered unmanned surface vehicle (USV) operating in the Taiwan Strait on Friday (July 19) off the coast of Mudou Island. 

A fishing boat towed the vessel, which was without power, to Jibei Island and turned it over to the Taiwan Coast Guard, who are investigating to find the owner of the USV. The USV resembles technology used by the U.S. Navy to collect hydrographic data for maritime operations, reported LTN. 

Based on photos shared online, the USV is similar to those used by the Fifth Fleet of the U.S. Navy in 2022 during the Cutlass Express exercises in the Gulf of Aqaba. 

The Coast Guard was expected to send a press release about the USV on Saturday (July 20), but as of press time, a notice had not been posted. Coast Guard Officials have reportedly confirmed the USV is not owned by any marine research organization operating in Taiwan, and it does not have any markings identifying its origin, per UDN.

Although it has yet to be confirmed, the USV found off the coast of Penghu may have been manufactured by the U.S. company Saildrone, which also provides USVs to various research organizations around the world.