The Philippine Navy is open to the use of an American unmanned aircraft system to carry out resupply missions in Ayungin Shoal to avoid getting harassed by Chinese maritime forces.
Phillippine Navy Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad confirmed on Tuesday that US Marines tested their Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS) during two recent military exercises earlier this year.
According to the US Marine Corps, their 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit employed TRUAS during the Balikatan Exercise in April and Archipelagic Coastal Defense Continuum (ACDC) in May in Palawan.
“Yes, that’s why they are here for the exercise to test the equipment, to give us the opportunity to observe and to perform, to handle it with them,” Trinidad said when asked about the test of the TRUAS by the US Marines.
The TRUAS, according to the US Marine Corps, is a Class 3 unmanned aerial system which can deliver critical supplies to remote and inaccessible areas with unprecedented speed and precision.
During the Balikatan and ACDC, the US Marine Corps said that the TRUAS was deployed to “conduct a series of resupply missions to various sites on Palawan Island” which was deemed “successful” as it “navigated the challenging Philippine terrain and demonstrated how emerging unmanned technology, coupled with traditional ground-based resupply methods, could overcome logistical obstacles.”
Asked if the Navy is eyeing to acquire the same US drone system for the resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal, Trinidad was optimistic to the idea.
“All options are being considered,” he said, although noting that additional supplementary methods should be used to rotate the troops as the drone system could only carry provisions.
