DWDD: BOOST CAPABILITIES | PAF Newly-Acquired Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

From DWDD AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Mar 15): BOOST CAPABILITIES  |  PAF Newly-Acquired Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

COL. JESUS VILLAMOR AIRBASE, Pasay City (DWDD) – Lieutenant General Galileo Gerard R Kintanar Jr AFP, Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force, told the airmen, members of the press, and other guests on Tuesday morning, March 13, that the potential of the ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System acquired by the PAF from the United States for both military and government agencies is “great and promising.”

  

“It [ScanEagle UAV System] will provide real-time information 24/7 whenever it flies. As such, it will come in handy during tactical combat operations, in our fight against terrorism, that will enable military commanders to make timely, informed and accurate decisions…the ScanEagle will give situational awareness in our maritime areas when employed for limited maritime patrol. It will provide rapid damage assessment and needs analysis in the immediate aftermath of a typhoon, fire or earthquake, which will pave way to faster and more responsive humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The ScanEagle will also prove useful in monitoring our mountains and littoral areas, which will aid the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in the performance of their mandates,” he added.

This remarks was made by the CGPAF during the ceremonial acceptance, turn over, and blessing of the ScanEagle UAV System held at 250th Presidential Airlift Wing Hangar, Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base, Pasay City with Secretary of National Defense Delfin N Lorenzana, as guest of honor.

 

With the arrival of the ScanEagle UAS, operations of our ground, air, and naval forces will be further enhanced. It is capable of performing several missions such as internal security operations, counter-terrorism, and limited maritime patrol. More importantly, the ScanEagle UAS can be utilized by the Philippine government for humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations since it is capable of assessing the extent of damage caused by disasters and calamities, as well as locate victims and survivors.

Apart from national military objectives, the PAF extends the use of the ScanEagle UAS to different departments of the government in order to support national development activities such as anti-illegal logging, aerial survey, and anti-dynamite fishing.

 

According to Secretary Lorenzana, the acquisition of this UAV System – the first for the PAF and Armed Forces of the Philippines – has been one of the solutions to the security issues that the country is facing.

“With a number of security issues confronting our country, there is a need to upgrade our nation’s armed forces and to establish a more credible defense. And this acquisition of ScanEagle UAV is one way to modernize the military to deter those who want to wage war against our country,” Secretary Lorenzana said.

 

During the transfer ceremony, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Y Kim presented the UAV System documents to Secretary Lorenzana. Immediately after, they were turned over to the 300th Air Intelligence and Security Wing, the end-user unit of the PAF.

The PAF has acquired the ScanEagle UAV System from the United States through foreign military financing with an estimated amount of $13.76 million. PAF / MCAG

http://dwdd.com.ph/2018/03/15/boost-capabilities-paf-newly-acquired-unmanned-aerial-vehicle/