Philippines seeking to expand military drone capabilities, says defence chief

MANILA: The Philippines plans to expand its unmanned capabilities, including through development and acquisition of drones as part of efforts to modernise its military, its defence chief said on Tuesday (Aug 25).US defence ally the Philippines also plans to acquire additional guided-missile corvettes and other major defence assets to beef up its external defence capabilities, Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told a budget hearing in the lower house of Congress. The Philippines has shifted its security focus from internal threats to external security as tensions rise with Beijing in the South China Sea, where confrontations between them over disputed features inside Manila's exclusive economic zone have grown in frequency in recent years.The armed forces currently operate a fleet of unman