A Chinese Type 815 Dongdiao-class intelligence vessel was observed trailing joint United States and Australian naval exercises within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, according to Defence Blog on November 2.

Photos released by the US Navy show the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) operating alongside the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155) during a Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) on October 31 in the western Pacific.

Analysts later identified a faint silhouette in the background as a Chinese electronic intelligence (ELINT) ship.

According to Defence Blog, the vessel was a Type 815 Dongdiao-class surveillance ship belonging to China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The ship reportedly followed the allied formation as US and Australian crews conducted drills near Philippine waters.

The incident was first highlighted by open-source analysts from the account PLA Military Updates, who commented, “Type 815: Joint patrols? Nah, let me jam some radars, I am just making some ‘Freedom of Navigation’ sails.”

The Dongdiao-class—known to NATO as the “East Investigation” type—is part of China’s fleet of intelligence-gathering vessels used to intercept radar emissions, communications, and other telemetry data. Later variants, including the Type 815G and 815A, feature upgraded sensor domes and advanced electronic arrays.

The US Navy stated that the exercise aimed to “reinforce coordination and partnership in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” though the official release did not reference the Chinese vessel.

USS Fitzgerald, based in Yokosuka, Japan, operates under the US Seventh Fleet and regularly conducts patrols and cooperative missions across the Indo-Pacific. HMAS Ballarat, one of Australia’s key surface combatants, frequently participates in regional engagement and allied maritime activities.

Earlier, Defense One reported that China is constructing a multi-layered surveillance system—known as the Transparent Ocean strategy—linking satellites, buoys, underwater drones, and seabed sensors to detect submarines across the western Pacific. The network aims to limit US and allied undersea operations by creating an “invisible net” from seabed to space.

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