The U.S. Marine Corps has deployed a unit equipped with MQ-9A Reaper drones to the South China Sea to provide support to Philippine forces there amid a series of clashes with Chinese vessels. The unit is deployed on a temporary basis and the drones are unarmed, a Marine Corps spokesperson told Defense News in a statement.
“At the request of the Philippine government, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 1 is temporarily deployed to the Philippines to support Philippine regional maritime security through shared maritime domain awareness,” the spokesperson said.
“The temporary stationing of unarmed MQ-9As to the Philippines demonstrates mutual commitment to improving the collective maritime security and supports our common goal for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.
The MQ-9 Reaper is an extremely powerful and reliable unmanned aerial vehicle known for its stealth, endurance and robust design. With an array of sensors and extensive range capacity, it can fly nonstop for over 27 hours and can be used for a wide range of operations, including reconnaissance, close air support, search and rescue, and precision strikes.
The Pentagon recently resurrected a defunct World War II fighter squadron as an MQ-9 Reaper unit to be permanently based at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea as a deterrent to potential threats.
The deployment of Reapers to the South Pacific is part of recent Pentagon efforts to provide support to the Philippines amid fierce confrontations with Chinese vessels in the South China Sea.
Chinese vessels have been taking increasingly aggressive measures in trying to chase Philippine vessels away from uninhabited shoals, shooting at fishing boats with water cannons and pursuing them. In August, two Chinese warships collided while trying to drive off the Philippine coast guard.
In the aftermath of the warship collision, the U.S. deployed a guided missile destroyer and a littoral combat ship to the disputed area. The U.S. also committed to build a fast boat facility on the western coast of Palawan, a Philippine island province, for use by the country’s armed forces for South China Sea patrols.
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.