Germany to Donate Advanced Drones to Philippines
15 January, 2024 Trinity F90+ drone of the Philippines. January 2024. Photo credits: MaxDefense Philippines
Germany will donate advanced drones to the Philippine Coast Guard amid tensions with China in the South China Sea. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated this during her visit to the Philippines. The Philippine Coast Guard already has Trinity F90+ drones, which were donated in 2022 by Germany through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The additional four or more state-of-the-art drones, which are part of the German government's EUR129 million assistance, will be used in coast guard operations in the Philippine Sea. Drones are supposed to help with natural disasters, route control, and provide imagery for intelligence and mapping purposes. German officials promised to help the Philippines amidst the deteriorating relations between the Philippines and China. Annalena Baerbock stated that the use of lasers and water cannons by the Chinese Coast Guard against Philippine ships is "worrying" even for European countries.
"Such risky maneuvers violate the rights and opportunities for economic development of your country and other states," Annalena Baerbock added. Previously, in 2023, a Chinese coast guard ship used a military-grade laser against a Philippine patrol boat.
Trinity F90+ drone of the Philippines. January 2024. Photo credits: MaxDefense Philippines
This happened when the Philippine-flagged ship was involved in personnel rotation at the Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed territory claimed by multiple countries, including China.
According to Baerbock, such actions "also call into question freedom of navigation in an area through which a third of the world's maritime trade is carried."
Second Thomas Shoal on the map in the disputed waters of the South China Sea
"There are truly rough winds blowing across the South China Sea, and this is happening in the middle of one of the most dynamic economic regions of the world," Baerbock added.