[JumpCrisscross]

"Bogus" is a strong term. China seems to be breaching UNCLOS, which it agreed to. That said, it wants extraordinary rights similar to those exercised by the United States (which is not a UNCLOS signatory).

Ultimately, international law is a convenient fiction. South China Sea territoriality will be decided by the United States weighing the benefits of freedom of navigation against the cost of enforcing UNCLOS boundaries with force. Sending drones and forcing them to be returned is less risky (and less effective) than piloting manned ships through the area.

[greglindahl]

According to the article, the drone had surfaced adjacent to a US manned ship. Your last sentence appears to not match up with that.