Philippines to expand military drone fleet as South China Sea tensions rise

The Philippines plans to expand its unmanned ⁠capabilities, including through development ⁠and acquisition of drones as part ⁠of efforts to modernise its military, its defence chief said on Tuesday.

US defence ally the Philippines also planned to acquire additional guided-missile corvettes and other major defence assets to strengthen its external defence capabilities, Defence Secretary Gilberto ‌Teodoro told a budget hearing in the lower house of Congress.

The Philippines has shifted its security focus from internal threats to external security as tensions rise with Beijing in the South China Sea, where confrontations between them over disputed features inside Manila’s exclusive economic zone have grown in frequency in recent years.

The armed forces currently operate ⁠a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles that provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Teodoro said.

“As we mature ‌on the cycle, then we can acquire more,” Teodoro said in pitching to lawmakers a 6.3 per cent increase in the defence ministry’s budget for ‌2027, from the 305.5 billion pesos (US$4.95 billion) spending plan approved for this ⁠year.

Drone expansion is ⁠part of a proposed 50 billion pesos allocation for the Philippines’ modernisation programme next year, 25 per cent higher ‌than that of the current budget.