MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is banking on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strengthen its surveillance and maritime law enforcement, saying drones provide crucial support in detecting illegal activities and responding to maritime incidents.

Captain Noemie Cayabyab, PCG spokesman said the agency currently has 31 UAV units and intended to expand their deployment to all operational commands nationwide, particularly in remote areas beyond the immediate reach of patrol vessels.

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“These drones allow us to detect and document incidents in real time. With the live video feed, we can immediately deploy patrol boats and also use the footage as evidence for filing cases against violators,” Cayabyab said in an interview.

The UAVs can fly up to 1,000 feet in altitude, cover a range of 10 kilometers, and operate for one hour per flight. They are equipped with GPS navigation, live video transmission, automatic flight path programming, and object-tracking capabilities.

Before deployment, PCG personnel conduct pre-flight checks that include battery inspection, signal testing, propeller integrity, and software verification. Sensor alignment is also done to adjust cameras and infrared sensors, while navigation calibration ensures GPS accuracy and flight stability.

Cayabyab said the drones were particularly useful in addressing illegal fishing, monitoring oil spills, and documenting skirmishes or other maritime threats.

“Without proper calibration, reports may be inaccurate, which can lead to poor decisions and technical issues during missions,” she cautioned.

The Coast Guard disclosed that it had procured around 1,300 UAV units for maritime operations, with plans to strategically deploy them across its stations to ensure equal surveillance capability nationwide.