Philippine Navy Receives First ScanEagle UAS from US

The Philippine Navy today received its first ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) from the United States.

Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Kelly and JUSMAG officials delivered this Php710-million ($14.79 million) system to the Philippine Navy to increase the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s maritime domain awareness and border security capabilities.

It was acquired through the Maritime Security Initiative Program of the United States requested by the PN in 2017 and was formalized in February 2019 after series of dialogues with Philippines’ Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG-Phil).

The ScanEagle UAS is composed of eight air vehicles, two launchers, skyhook and ground control station.

The ScanEagle UAS will provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to the AFP 71st Maritime Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron (71 MUARS) of the Philippine Fleet’s Naval Air Wing, which will operate the aircraft out of Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui, San Antonio, Zambales.  71 MUARS is the AFP’s leading unit for unmanned maritime ISR operations.

The Philippines is by far the largest recipient of U.S. military assistance in the Indo-Pacific region.  Since 2015, the United States has delivered more than Php33 billion ($650 million) worth of planes, ships, armored vehicles, small arms, and other military equipment to the Philippines, while training side-by-side with our Filipino allies.