Key facts
- Australia has provided the Philippine coastguard with a new batch of aerial and underwater drones.
- The drones are intended to enhance the Philippines' capability to monitor activities in the disputed South China Sea.
- The donation includes surveillance, delivery, and inspection drones, with specific models yet to be confirmed.
- Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown highlighted the support for the Philippine coastguard's maritime domain awareness.
- This transfer is part of a broader maritime cooperation agreement between Australia and the Philippines.
Australia has supplied the Philippine coastguard with a new fleet of aerial and underwater drones, aimed at bolstering Manila's capacity to monitor activities within the contested South China Sea. The donation, which includes surveillance, delivery, and inspection drones, is expected to enhance the Philippines' ability to gather evidence and deter confrontations with Chinese vessels in its exclusive economic zone.
While specific models have not been officially confirmed, images suggest the inclusion of fixed-wing Corvo drones for long-distance surveillance, an Oceanbotics underwater vehicle for inspection and sonar imaging, and a Callisto 25 heavy-lift drone. Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Marc Innes-Brown stated that the donation is part of Canberra's ongoing support for the modernization of the Philippine coastguard and its maritime domain awareness efforts.