The Marine Corps sent a unit of MQ-9A Reaper drones to the Philippines to support reconnaissance operations in the South China Sea.

The Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1, based out of Arizona under the command of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, deployed multiple MQ-9A Reapers this month. USNI News first reported the deployment. The drones are unarmed and are being sent in support of Philippine security efforts, following increased tension in the contested maritime region, where China has claimed disputed territory. 

“The temporary stationing of unarmed MQ-9As to the Philippines demonstrates mutual commitment to improving the collective maritime security and supports our common goal for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the Marine Corps said in a statement to outlets regarding the deployment.

MQ-9 Reaper drones can fly for more than 24 hours at a range of more than 1,000 miles. They serve multiple roles, including reconnaissance, surveillance, and, when armed, carrying out targeted strikes. It’s not clear exactly how many were deployed.

The deployment of the drone unit follows several shifts of military resources as the United States and its allies bolster forces on the Korean peninsula and island nations east of China. At the end of October, the United States and the Philippines announced a new task force meant to coordinate maritime security near the South China Sea. 

The Air Force recently revived a World War II-era unit to serve as a drone-focused force in the Korean Peninsula. The 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron was reactivated under the 7th Air Fleet, operating MQ-9 Reapers out of Kunsan Air Base for surveillance missions in the Indo-Pacific.

The deployment of the Marine Corps’ Reaper drones comes after several months of various drills between the United States and partner nations in the western Pacific. Those have ranged from air defense exercises to mock island defense training. The Marine Corps has recently fielded several of its advanced weapons in the western Pacific, including its air defense system and the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (or NMESIS) anti-ship missile platform in exercises in Japan.

The United States military currently has several assets deployed near the South China Sea, including the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its carrier strike group. Late last month an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were lost at sea on the same day in separate mishaps; all crewmembers were recovered unharmed. The USS George Washington aircraft carrier recently left South Korea after several days docked in Busan.

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