PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — Philippine and US marines showcased on Thursday their expertise in coastal defense operations, which included the integration of a special drone, as part of the 7th iteration of this year's Kaagapay ng Mandirigma mula sa Dagat (Kamandag) exercise, held at the beach of Barangay Kamuning in this city.

Approximately 95 joint troops took part in a scenario where they demonstrated the capability of a small unmanned aerial system (SUAS). This involved hand-launching the RQ-20 PUMA, a small battery-operated drone, whose mission was to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence data.

U.S. forces displayed how they responded upon detecting a presumed hostile vessel through the utilization of remote-controlled aircraft to get a closer look. Following confirmation, Philippine forces onboard armored tanks armed with mortars and anti-air guns gathered on the beach to prevent the enemy from reaching the coastlines.

Captain Philip Badrov of the Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) clarified that the RQ-20 Puma stands apart from other unmanned aerial vehicles due to its lightweight nature, user-friendly operation, and the inclusion of a high-quality thermal camera.

"What we're doing here is demonstrating maritime domain awareness. So we're establishing these sensing sites with cheap, readily available radars that anyone could buy off the shelf. By having that, we have the most robust picture of the maritime domain; we're able to see everything from aggressors to anyone who is breaking the law. So this applies to everything about policing through warfare," Badrov said.

Badrov, a specialist in operating SUAS, stated that their objective is to attain interoperability between the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC). This inter-operability not only ensures these two forces can work together as a unified entity but also enhances their relationships and proficiency in shared tactics through increased joint training, enabling effective cooperation whenever the situation demands it.

He further emphasized that the training is part of the coastal defense combined interoperability program, which is being carried out in various areas across the country as part of Kamandag 2023.

Brigadier General Antonio Mangoroban Jr., commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade (3MBde) in Palawan, explained that using equipment like the RQ-20 PUMA in coastal defense is "very important" as it enhances surveillance, response capabilities, and situational awareness while minimizing risks to human personnel and providing a cost-effective solution for safeguarding coastal regions.