PAF acquires $13.76 million worth of unmanned aerial vehicles

One of the six UAVs purchased by the Philippines via a foreign military financing grant from the United States in the Villamor Airbase/Mar Gabriel/Eagle News/

 

By Mar Gabriel
Eagle News Service

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has acquired six unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) through a grant from the United States.

The six ScanEagle UAVs, worth $13.76 million, were inspected by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and US Ambassador Sung Kim at the  presidential airlift wing hangar of the Villamor Airbase in Pasay on Tuesday.

According to Lorenzana, the UAVs were a big boost to the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of the Air Force.

He said the UAVs, which can transmit live videos and can fly for 24 hours, could also be used  in internal security operations, counter terrorism operations and maritime patrols.

He said they could also be used in damage assessments during natural disasters.

“And this acquisition of ScanEagle UAV is one way to modernize the military to deter those who want to wage war against our country,” Lorenzana added.