Manila, Philippines — November 29, 2025 (Agencies) — The United States has temporarily deployed an undisclosed number of MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the Philippines, reinforcing regional maritime security and intelligence-sharing efforts amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
A spokesperson for US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) confirmed the deployment, noting that it was made “at the request of the Philippine government.” Operated by the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) of the US Marine Corps, the Reapers will provide shared maritime domain awareness (MDA) between US and Philippine forces.
The spokesperson emphasized that the drones are unarmed and will be used exclusively for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. “The MQ-9A provides a common operating picture to both the Philippines and the US forces in order to effectively plan and execute missions. It plays a vital role in maritime security and surface surveillance control missions, enhancing the effectiveness of operations,” the official said.
According to specifications from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), the MQ-9A Reaper is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV with a length of 11 meters, wingspan of 20 meters, and a maximum altitude of 50,000 feet. It can remain airborne for up to 27 hours and has a maximum take-off weight of 4,763 kg. The aircraft is equipped with advanced systems including the Raytheon Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS)-B, GA-ASI Lynx multimode radar, maritime radar, automatic identification system (AIS), and communications relay.
The deployment underscores Washington’s commitment to supporting allies in the Indo-Pacific, while providing Manila with enhanced surveillance capabilities to monitor its vast maritime territory.