NE China to set up drone bases for marine surveillance

SHENYANG - Two drone bases will be established in northeast China's Liaoning province for real time surveillance on coastal waters, local authorities said Saturday.

One of the bases will be built on a land reclamation lot in the coastal city of Yingkou to cover the Bohai Sea area. The other will be constructed in Dalian city to cover parts of the Yellow Sea within the province's jurisdiction, according to the oceanic and fishing department of the provincial government.

The drones will feature high-definition remote-sensing in marine surveillance, especially in quick response to emergency situations. They can also be used to identify illegal land reclamation activities and sand dredging, and monitor marine environments along the coast and on islets.

A previous report said China was planning to build 11 drone bases for marine surveillance along the country's coastline by 2015 and at least one drone would be stationed at each base.

According to the State Oceanic Administration, the use of pilotless aircraft in remote-sensing marine surveillance is relatively flexible, low-cost and efficient compared with the performance of satellite remote sensing, aerial remote sensing and field monitoring.