MANILA: The pressure is on for the Philippines to replace a vessel it pulled out from a hotly contested shoal in the South China Sea – or risk losing a strategic area in its maritime dispute with Beijing.

The U.S. Air Force revealed last week that its drone units have been training for an "unmanned" war in the contested South China Sea as regional tensions continue to rise. The "Reaper Smoke" annual competition,

The Philippines has withdrawn a coastguard ship keeping watch over a disputed reef after a months-long stand-off with China. The Teresa Magbanua, Manila’s largest coastguard vessel, returned to port on Sunday from the Sabina Shoal after blocking and ramming by the Chinese coastguard left the crew dehydrated and malnourished and the ship damaged,

The Philippines will continuously deploy vessels in the contested Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea, its coast guard said on Monday after a Philippine ship returned to port after a five-month deployment there.

The U.S. could be drawn into a conflict between China and the Philippines that's been roiling the South China Sea.

The Philippines is sending a new vessel to replace the coast guard ship Teresa Magbanua at Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea after the original ship returned to port.