Marines Deploy MQ-9 Reaper Drone Unit to South China Sea Amid Rising Confrontations With China

Temporary mission in the Philippines boosts maritime domain awareness as Washington deepens security cooperation with Manila following a series of aggressive Chinese naval encounters.

The U.S. Marine Corps has deployed an MQ-9A Reaper drone unit to the South China Sea to reinforce Philippine maritime security amid escalating tensions with China. The deployment—requested by the Philippine government—comes after months of increasingly confrontational encounters between Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels and Philippine forces.

Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) is now operating temporarily from Philippine territory, Marine Corps officials confirmed in a written statement to 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Defense News. The MQ-9As currently forward-positioned in the region are unarmed, underscoring that their mission is focused on surveillance, early warning, and shared domain awareness.

“At the request of the Philippine government, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 is temporarily deployed to the Philippines to support Philippine regional maritime security through shared maritime domain awareness,” the spokesperson said.

“The temporary stationing of unarmed MQ-9As demonstrates our mutual commitment to improving collective maritime security and supports our common goal for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”