PH boosts WPS watch with new US aircraft

THE United States government on Tuesday handed over a surveillance aircraft to the Philippines for monitoring increasing incursions by China in the West Philippine Sea, particularly its alleged harvesting of corals in one of the areas that lie within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The turnover of the US aircraft came days after China's alleged large-scale destruction of corals and other marine life in the Rozul (Iroquois) Reef and Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea caught the world's attention.

It also comes as a satellite image, which was released on Tuesday, showed at least suspected Chinese ships massing once again at Rozul Reef, which is 125 nautical miles from Palawan and situated at the southwest edge of Reed (Recto) Bank.

Ray Powell, SeaLight director, said their imagery partners at Planet Labs provided «clear visual evidence» of at least 35 Chinese fishing and maritime militia vessels operating at Rozul Reef.

Powell toldThe Manila Times that although they cannot determine by these particular images that those ships were those of the Chinese maritime militia, «history, the size of the vessels, and their behavior tell us these are Chinese.»

Historically, he pointed out that People's Republic of China (PRC) vessels have been monitored «consistently» in that particular area.

Likewise, Powell noted that neighboring Southeast Asian countries do not have fishing ships as large as those in the satellite image.

The «swarming/rafting» behavior of the ships in the satellite image is also noticeable, he said, which is a common tactic employed by Chinese vessels.

For all operations

The Cessna-208B (C-208B) Grand Caravan EX Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Aircraft was turned over by the US