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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is boosting its air patrol over the West Philippine Sea with the help of 20 drones or unmanned aerial system (UAS) worth P34 million donated by Australia.
Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan, commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), formally received the drones yesterday from Australian Ambassador HK Yu during a handover ceremony held in Mariveles, Bataan.
Turned over to the PCG were 15 short-range UAS, four medium-range UAS and one long-range unit.
“Drone specialists from Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s Office of the Chief Remote Pilot traveled to the Philippines this week to deliver four days of training for 30 members of the PCG Aviation Command Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Squadron,” the PCG said.
“This support further boosts our ability to pursue more precisely, appropriately and sustainably our complex rights and obligations from being both a maritime and archipelagic country. This also greatly assists the PCG to further advance its fundamental role as a responsible protector of rules to help keep the peace and prosperity for our own people and all law-abiding users of our seas to enjoy,” Gavan said.
He said that with drones, PCG vessels would be able to extend the reach of their monitoring and surveillance operations, as well as “save on fuel and there would be less risk for our people.”
He explained that while the PCG already has off-the-shelf drones, the new ones “offer a little bit more.” He did not elaborate.
By acquiring world-class drones from Australia, the PCG is giving its personnel the opportunity to become familiar with state-of-the art systems, Gavan said. “This is not an ordinary off-the-shelf drone.”
Aside from aiding in patrols over the West Philippine Sea, the drones would also be deployed over densely populated areas in PCG districts, Gavan said. “These would be sent to areas where we could optimize their utilization.”
The Australian ambassador said the donation of the drones “is a tangible example of our increased maritime cooperation with the Philippines and a contribution that supports PCG’s modernization efforts.”
“Australia is proud of our long-standing cooperation with the PCG, and our efforts to provide practical support for their crucial work,” Yu said.
Last year, she announced that Australia would double its civil maritime cooperation with the Philippines to P649 million up to 2029.
“This is another example of how we are putting our Philippines-Australia Strategic Partnership into action,” the ambassador said.
Asked if the PCG would be required to share with Australia any information or data collected from the drones, Gavan clarified that this was not part of the donation agreement.
But he stressed he is open to sharing data with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.
Aircraft deployed
In a related development, Gavan said they have dispatched an aircraft to monitor the movements of Chinese research ship Zhong Shan Da Xue near Batanes. “We will see how things evolve,” he said when asked if the PCG would deploy one of its vessels to tail the Chinese ship.
He explained that foreign vessels have rights to innocent passage guaranteed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
But foreign ships may be challenged or even turned away “if they stop, if they hover, if they conduct research activities, if they do anything aside from having an expeditious and continuous passage.”
Warships from South Korea arrive
Also yesterday, one of the Philippine Navy’s two new South Korean-made warships arrived at the Subic Naval Base in Zambales.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro led the ceremonies welcoming the future BRP Miguel Malvar, a 3,200-ton corvette.
Its sister ship – to be named BRP Diego Silang – was launched at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) naval shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea last month and is expected to be delivered to the Philippines soon.
The two vessels are expected to be utilized largely by the Northern and Western Commands, which have operational jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea.
Equipped with anti-ship, anti-submarine and anti-aircraft capabilities, the two ships form part of P28-billion contract between the DND and HHI signed in 2021. — Jose Rodel Clapano, Mark Ernest Villeza
