Department of National Defense to acquire drones

The Department of National Defense (DND) are set to acquire drones to bolster the Philippine Marine’s surveillance, security, and search rescue operations in the country.

The DND’s Php684 million Marine Forces Imagery and Targeting Support System Acquisition Project lists six unmanned aerial vehicles in addition to nine sets of target acquisition device sub-systems, 12 kits of tactical sensor integration sub-systems, and an integrated logistics support package to be acquired. These will be used by three Marine brigades in Sulu, Central Mindanao and Palawan.

Photo sourced from Wikipedia

Mind you that these drones won’t be fair weather flyers like the Parrot AR Drone and other DIY drones that you see on the internet. These are more likely to be small and lightweight, hand-launched types that can operate in harsh environments. One example is the RQ-11B Raven by Aerovironment which was featured in the 2012 movie Act of Valor.

“It will serve as our eye in the sky without the risk of personnel casualty,” said Lt. Commander Gregory Fabic. “Since a drone has a camera, the area to be covered by reconnaissance operations will be wider. It can also help us detect missing persons.”

Companies can now start submitting their bids for the project with a deadline set on January 6, 2014.

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