US gives Philippines solar-powered sea drones to boost maritime surveillance

MANILA — The US government has given four Ocean Aero Triton autonomous underwater and surface vehicles to the Philippine military to boost Manila's ability to monitor its waters and spot potential threats, the US Embassy in the Philippines said on Tuesday (June 23).

The Philippines is taking delivery of the solar-powered sea drones, which can operate for up to 30 days without crews, as ties between the Philippines and China have been tested by Beijing's installation of a floating structure in Scarborough Shoal and the imposition of sanctions by China on Manila's Defence Secretary.

The embassy said the drones, valued at US$13 million (S$16.8 million), demonstrated Washington's commitment to its ally and would enhance the Philippines' ability to detect and respond to maritime challenges, including illegal fishing, grey-zone activities, and threats to freedom of navigation.

"The Indo-Pacific's waters are vast and contested, and the Philippines sits at the heart of it," the embassy said in a statement.

In mid-June, US and Philippine forces held joint maritime drills in the South China Sea, involving air and coast guard assets in a series of interoperability exercises.

Last week, the Philippines said China had removed the floating structure on the hotly contested atoll after it lodged a diplomatic protest. China said the structure was for 'scientific survey' work.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than US$3 trillion in trade passes annually, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated those claims. 

The Chinese embassy in Manila has said the 2016 ruling only undermined bilateral ties and regional peace and stability, statements the Philippine foreign ministry has rejected.

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