PAF receives four drones from US

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has received four ScanEagle unmanned aerial systems (UAS) from the United States military, according to the US Embassy on Thursday.

The drones — which were personally received by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenza and PAF commander Lieutenant General Allen Paredes at the Clark Air Base on Wednesday — are expected to strengthen counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance, and relief efforts in the country.

The US embassy said the four ScanEagle UAS, which are worth $4 million or P20 million, will provide additional support in unmanned Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR).

Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim (CDA) Heather Variava and officials from the US Embassy in the Philippines’ Joint US Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG) personally delivered the UAS systems to increase the domain awareness and border security capabilities in the country.

“We remain committed to our promises on helping modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and we hope this will further strengthen our combined capabilities in working together towards a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Variava said.

The embassy said the US provided the AFP with grant assistance and expedited sales of arms and munitions to support its modernization, maritime security, and humanitarian efforts.

The Philippines is by far the largest recipient of US military assistance in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the US Embassy.

The US delivered over $1.06 billion or P50.6 billion worth of planes, ships, and military equipment to the Philippines since 2015. —Richa Noriega/KBK, GMA News