US Marines Corps MQ-9A Reaper Drones are now operating in the Philippines as the US continues to beef up its military presence in the country, USNI News reported on Monday.
The Reaper drones, which can be armed with powerful Hellfire missiles, have been operating out of the Philippines since the spring at the request of Manila as the two nations are increasing intelligence sharing.
A spokesperson for the I Marine Expeditionary Force told USNI that the Marines Corps “will employ unarmed MQ-9As to provide reconnaissance and surveillance in support of the development of intelligence sharing between the US and our Philippine allies.”
US Reaper drones have been deployed to support the Philippines in the South China Sea, where tensions are soaring between Manila and Beijing over disputed rocks and reefs in the waters. The US is strongly backing the Philippines in the dispute and has even committed itself to intervene if the situation turns into a shooting war.
Whenever there is an incident between Chinese and Philippines boats in the South China Sea, the US takes the opportunity to remind China that the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty applies to attacks on Philippine boats in the disputed waters.
According to USNI, US Reaper drones conducted five sorties over the South China Sea in March to support “critical maritime domain awareness and overwatch of the Second Thomas Shoal,” referring to a disputed reef that’s been a major source of tensions between Manila and Beijing.
The Philippines has a World War II-era warship that’s grounded on Second Thomas Shoal that it uses as a base of operations for the area. China often intercepts Philippine boats trying to resupply the ship, and sometimes the encounters end in collision or with Chinese vessels firing water cannons.
So far, before the drones came, it's just been a big pee pee contest between China and Philippines using fire hoses to shoot water at each other's ships. Obviously another war is being planned in the Pacific.
Touché ole!
”Send lawyers, guns and money, the sh-t is about to hit the fan!”
They got Clark cleared out yet or can you land drones on hardened 40 year old volcanic ash?
Clark air base now called Clark International Airport has been back in operations for years.
Cool, I always wondered. I remember the day a RF4C pilot I worked with told me in 83 that Pinatubo was going to blow in a few years and then all the people who want us off this base will get their wish. Hopefully they rebuilt the hospital, that was a nice 1st world hospital.