Philippines taps ‘smarter, cheaper’ Australian drones to deter China

Australia has supplied the Philippine coastguard with a new batch of aerial and underwater drones that could significantly enhance Manila’s capability to monitor activities in the disputed China-sea" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8346" data-entity-type="location">South China Sea.The systems would help the coastguard gather evidence and enhance deterrence across the contested waters, including areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, where Manila has faced repeated confrontations with Chinese vessels, according to analysts.Based on images released by the Manila" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="149164" data-entity-type="organization">Australian embassy in Manila on social media on Tuesday, the donation appears to include Australian-made surveillance, delivery and inspection drones: a fixed-wing Corvo drone that can carry small payloads over long distances, a compact Oceanbotics underwater vehicle used for inspection and sonar imaging, a smaller Corvo aerial drone and a Callisto 25 heavy-lift drone.Australian and Philippine authorities have yet to confirm the specific models and capabilities of the drones.