Germany Boosts Philippines with More Drones for South China Sea Ops
Spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Armado Balilo, stated that the four additional Trinity F90+ drones from Germany would be utilized for surveillance and reconnaissance tasks in the South China Sea.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — To assist the Philippines in its dispute with China over the South China Sea issue, Germany will be contributing additional drones for monitoring purposes in the strategic waterways vital for global trade claimed by Beijing.
The drones, designated as “Trinity F90+,” will be operated by the Philippine Coast Guard.
Spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Armado Balilo, stated that the four additional Trinity F90+ drones from Germany would be utilized for surveillance and reconnaissance tasks in the South China Sea.
He mentioned that the donation of these drones is part of an initial aid program valued at Euro$179 million (RM912 million) from the German government.
In 2022, the German government had previously donated two Trinity F90+ drones to the Philippines for training purposes under the German Corporation for International Cooperation program.
The announcement of the additional four drones for the Philippines was made during the visit of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to Manila, where she met with the Southeast Asian country’s President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos at the Malacanang Palace.
Baerbock also visited the headquarters of the Philippine Coast Guard.
She expressed satisfaction with the ongoing collaboration between Germany and the Philippines in coastal areas, encompassing not only the provision of additional drones but also involving joint exercises and regional cooperation.
According to her, this collaboration will strengthen maritime safety and international law aspects.
The German Foreign Minister emphasized Berlin’s serious concern about the actions of Chinese coast guard vessels using lasers and water cannons against Filipino vessels.
In addition to surveillance and reconnaissance purposes, the unarmed drones will be employed by the Philippine Coast Guard in humanitarian aid operations, anti-drug activities, and the prevention of illicit captures.
These drones will also be used for generating high-resolution images for map production and various other applications.
The Trinity F90+ drones, weighing 5.5 kg and donated by Germany to the Philippines, have a flight capability of 90 minutes, covering a distance of 100 km, and can record diverse data during their airborne operations.
They can fly at an altitude of 4,500 meters, carrying various software weighing up to 1 kg, and can be operated with minimal training by the crew. — DSA
