U.S. Marines MQ-9A Reaper Drones Deployed to the Philippines to Overwatch Chinese 'Ship-Ramming'

Chinese Coast Guard vessels have been ramming into Philippine vessels, damaging them, and firing high-power water cannons into resupply ships. Amid continuing tensions between the Philippines and China in the SCS, as the latter blocks Manila's resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre over the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, USMC MQ-9A Reaper drones are now operating out of Basa Air Base, reports said. The Dawn of US Drones in the SCS? This is not the first time American drones are operating from the Philippines to oversee Chinese military assertions of its territorial claims, as during summer 2023 U.S. Army's MQ-1C Grey Eagle drones operated from Edwin Andrews Air Base in the southern part of the country. On May 8, 2024, MQ-9As were also involved in a sinking exercise during the Balikatan 2024 drills between the U.S. and Philippines. For some time now, CCG vessels have been ramming into Philippine vessels and firing high-power water cannons into resupply vessels attempting to reach the Sierra Madre outpost to resupply the personnel stationed there, damaging the ships and injuring their crews. Tatlong opisyal ng Philippine Navy ang nagtamo ng injury sa kanilang mata at ulo matapos atakihin ng China Coast Guard vessels ang Philippine supply vessel malapit sa Ayungin Shoal nitong Sabado, March 23. The seven-decade old defense pact dictates that the US and the Philippines would support each other if either of them were to be attacked by an external party.