Amid rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the United States will transfer an “observation blimp or aerostat” to the Philippines to help it track maritime activity and guard its territorial borders a U.S. ambassador said Monday.
United States ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg, said Washington would give the Philippines $42 million dollars worth of sensors, radar and communications equipment, his oldest security ally in the Asia-Pacific region.
On a media interview with Goldberg said, “We will add to its capability to put sensors on ships and put an aerostat blimp in the air to see into the maritime space.”
According to a Philippine military official, this will strengthen our assets capabilities. This blimp is an inflatable borne radar use to gather data, identify developments as well as detect movements in the West Philippine Sea. – Robert Beerlak
