US Gives Philippines 4 Sea Drones to Help Keep Indo-Pacific ‘Free and Open’

In recent years the United States’ ally has clashed repeatedly with Beijing over disputed territory in the South China Sea.

A Chinese Coast Guard ship fires a water cannon at a Philippine Navy chartered vessel conducting a routine resupply mission to troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, in the South China Sea on March 5, 2024. Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

The United States has given the Philippine military four ‌sea drones to help it spot ⁠potential threats in its waters, as Washington’s ally tackles Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea.

The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement on June 23 that the supply of the Ocean Aero Triton drones, together valued at $13 million, demonstrated Washington’s commitment to Manila and to a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”

In recent years, the Chinese regime has acted with increasing belligerence in the South China Sea, asserting what it claims are its rights over areas such as Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, despite a 2016 adjudication by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Earlier this month, Manila urged Beijing to remove a movable floating platform and related structures from Scarborough Shoal, and China responded by imposing sanctions on Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro for allegedly making “erroneous remarks concerning China.”

The drones represent “capability, speed, and reach,” U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Bridgette Walker said. 

“The Indo-Pacific’s maritime domain is vast, contested, and critical, and the Philippines sits at the heart of it,” she said.

Walker said the drones would allow the Philippines to combat gray-zone activities and also illegal fishing.

Ocean Aero, which is based in Gulfport, Miss., says the Triton is the world’s only autonomous underwater and surface vehicles (AUSV).

“It can sail and submerge autonomously to collect data both above and below the ocean’s surface and relay it to you from anywhere, at anytime,” the company states on its website.

The solar-powered Triton sea ​drones can be operated remotely for up to 30 days, according to the U.S. Embassy.

A map showing waters disputed by China in the South China Sea. UNCLOS and the CIA

Washington has been actively boosting its allies’ ability to stand up to Beijing in the Indo-Pacific.

In February, the navies of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines held joint drills in the South China Sea, and in April, American and Filipino service personnel trained together on landing drills.

Reuters contributed to this report.