American special forces trained with drone boats in Subic Bay during recent exercises with the Philippines, bringing what the U.S. Department of Defense previously described as “highly capable unmanned surface vessels” to the archipelago amid enhanced defense cooperation between Washington and Manila in the face of Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea.
A photo released by the U.S. Air Force depicted the operation of a Maritime Tactical Systems Devil Ray T-38 unmanned surface vessel at Naval Operating Base Subic. A Naval Special Warfare Combatant Craft Assault towed the drone in front of Quay 7, which at the time hosted an Acero-class patrol gunboat, BRP Gregorio del Pilar-class (PS-15), and BRP Davao del Sur (LD 602).
U.S. special operations forces have been training in the Philippines since early spring, bringing along with them their specialized aviation and fast boats. Their deployments across the country, including to the strategic island chain of Batanes near Taiwan and in the South China Sea, were highlighted by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Manila during his first visit to a partner in the Indo-Pacific region in March.
The American defense secretary also highlighted the deployment of drones alongside the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems for Balikatan 2025, a bilateral exercise that focused on the defense of the Philippines and heavily prioritized activities in the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait. A readout of Hegseth’s joint statement in Manila detailed that the training on the unmanned anti-ship launchers and vessels would “increase the interoperability and operational readiness of U.S. and Philippine forces to leverage cutting-edge military capabilities in Indo-Pacific operational environments.”
Compared to NMESIS’s high-profile coverage during the drills, the USV component of Balikatan was only publicly released in late May, weeks following the conclusion of the exercise. The Air Force’s imagery is the only open-source proof of the highlighted American-Philippine USV drills.
It is also unclear if the MARTAC drone was American or Philippine-operated, as both nations have deployed unmanned systems for operations and testing. Manila received four T-12 MANTAS and one Devil Ray T-38 from Washington under American efforts to strengthen Philippine maritime domain awareness in the South China Sea, a capability that the latter sought amid its territorial struggles with Beijing over disputed features. While smaller than the T-38, the MANTAS could operate akin to a narco sub through an awash deck feature, putting most of the drone beneath the waves during operation. The Devil Ray can reach speeds up to 80 knots and carry payloads weighing in at two tons. These vessels also utilize Starlink for command and control with their operators.
Naval News previously saw the single Philippine Navy Devil Ray T-38 during a window tour of Naval Operating Base Subic in September 2024. Two smaller T-12 MANTAS were recently highlighted during the service’s 127th anniversary ceremony.
The Philippine Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Unit One operates the drones. “We have to have USV units for ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance] purposes so that we can improve our capability for maritime domain awareness. That’s how modern navies now evolve, using unmanned systems to complement manned systems,” former Flag Officer-in-Command VAdm. Toribio Adaci told Naval News last year.
