US deploys MQ-9A Reapers to Philippines

The US has deployed an undisclosed number of MQ-9A Reaper UAVs (pictured) to the Philippines to strengthen joint maritime domain awareness. (US Air Force)

The US has temporarily deployed an undisclosed number of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the Philippines.

A spokesperson for US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) told Janes in November,“At the request of the Philippine government, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) is temporarily deployed to the Philippines to support Philippine regional maritime security through shared maritime domain awareness (MDA).”

VMU-1 is a US Marine Corps (USMC) squadron specialised in operating MQ-9A Reapers. The spokesperson said the MQ-9A Reapers deployed to the Philippines are unarmed and will be employed solely to bolster intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

“The MQ-9A provides [a] common operating picture to both the Philippines and the US forces in order to effectively plan and execute missions. The MQ-9A provides full-motion video, wide-area surveillance, and radar capabilities that enable our combined force to use real-time information during contingency planning. It plays a vital role in maritime security and surface surveillance control missions, enhancing the effectiveness of operations,” the spokesperson added.

According to company specifications, the MQ-9A Reaper has a length of 11 m, a wingspan of 20 m, a maximum operating altitude of 50,000 ft, a maximum endurance of 27 hours, and a maximum take-off weight of 4,763 kg. According to the US military, the UAV is equipped with a Raytheon Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS)-B electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) system, a GA-ASI Lynx multimode radar, a multimode maritime radar, an automatic identification system (AIS), and communications relay.