Chinese citizen uses drone to photograph US Navy shipyard

[MS Coast]

No worries, it's a common misunderstanding. Same with the whole "critical infrastructure" claim.

So, is it your contention that your statement is accurate?.

Please explain the what is it that you call the critical infrastructure claim.

 

[MS Coast]

I don't know if 18 USC 795 covers all military installations and equipment.

In this case, it would be a fair assumption that naval ships under development would be classified under one of the above categories.

Read a little further down in the document you cited. Or see the excerpts in post #18. Both issues seem pretty cut-and-dried.

 

[BobaFut]

In this case, it would be a fair assumption that naval ships under development would be classified under one of the above categories.

Why is that a fair assumption? Visitors are allowed on the base, VIPs, press, and many others are given tours...*satellites exist.* This is all happening out in the open air. What about private or commercial planes that fly nearby that give a view onto the shipyard? While there are systems within a ship that are classified and specs/capabilities that are classified, I don't know that it's safe to assume that "a submarine is being assembled here" is necessarily classified. I would bet that any photos this guy took are not much different than what you could find on Google Earth or wikipedia.

To me this seems like a case of flying while being Chinese, regardless of his intent. If the guy was white I doubt that he would've raised anyone's suspicions. I agree that the whole situation does seems suspicious because of his behavior, but I also have to question the risk/reward calculus for a foreign government in attempting such a thing and it doesn't make a ton of sense.

 

[MS Coast]

I don't know that it's safe to assume that "a submarine is being assembled here" is necessarily classified.

The regulation cited earlier says that it's covered by the prohibition on photography and such.

"(f) Any commercial establishment engaged in the development or manufacture of classified military or naval arms, munitions, equipment, designs, ships, aircraft, or vessels for the United States Army, Navy, or Air Force."

I would bet that any photos this guy took are not much different than what you could find on Google Earth or wikipedia.

Amen. Sensitive things in shipyards are either housed indoors, inside the vessel, or shrouded to prevent them from being visible to Russian and Chinese surveillance satellites. And just in general, it's difficult to imagine what useful information could be obtained from photos and videos shot with consumer-grade drones.

 

[anotherlab]

Why is that a fair assumption? Visitors are allowed on the base, VIPs, press, and many others are given tours...*satellites exist.* This is all happening out in the open air. What about private or commercial planes that fly nearby that give a view onto the shipyard? While there are systems within a ship that are classified and specs/capabilities that are classified, I don't know that it's safe to assume that "a submarine is being assembled here" is necessarily classified. I would bet that any photos this guy took are not much different than what you could find on Google Earth or wikipedia.

To me this seems like a case of flying while being Chinese, regardless of his intent. If the guy was white I doubt that he would've raised anyone's suspicions. I agree that the whole situation does seems suspicious because of his behavior, but I also have to question the risk/reward calculus for a foreign government in attempting such a thing and it doesn't make a ton of sense.

A ship in a naval yard that is out in the open can still be classified. As you mentioned, it's a moot point when China's spy satellites are just as good as ours now. The Wired article did mention that he was charged with violating WWII era laws.

Being a Chinese national raised the suspicions of the homeowner of the tree that the drone crashed into and with the police. He did not help his case by leaving town right after he was asked by the police to stay.

 

[bitsbytes]

18 USC 795/796 does not apply to anything visible in public. Otherwise aviation photographers would be arrested for taking photos of military aircraft. See Toledo Blade v. United States, Genovese v. Town of Southampton, Askins v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, etc.