AFP
ACQUIRES FALCON II TACTICAL RADIOS
The
AFP Chief of Staff, 
General
Narciso L Abaya formally received from Mr. Alan Callaghan
and Greg Bell, representatives of Harris Corporation,
the High Frequency Single-Side-Band (HF SSB) Manpack
Transceivers during a turnover ceremony held at Camp
Aguinaldo, Quezon City on June 3, 2004. The acquisition
of these manpack transceivers is part of the capability
building initiatives of the Armed Forces as outlined
in its Modernization Program.
The
RF-5800H manpack transceivers with Citadel encryption
are from Harris’ Falcon II family of software
defined digital radios. The radios will augment the
already depleted inventory of serviceable tactical
radio sets available to AFP ground forces such as
the infantry battalions of the Philippine Army and
battalion landing teams of the Philippine Marines.
The
RF-5800H provides capabilities to enhance secure data
transmissions for improved communications performance
and troop security. The software programmability of
the Falcon II radios provides a “future proof”
platform to the AFP, setting the foundation for future
Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence
(C4I) integration and deployment for a national networked
system.
General
Abaya said “the acquisition of these manpack
radios will surely boost the morale of the soldiers
particularly those in the frontlines and assigned
in the field.”
The
contract for the acquisition of these radio sets was
initiated between the AFP and Harris Corporation,
when the latter won the bid for this Php 427,432,320.00
project. Harris RF Communications Division is a leading
supplier of secure voice and data communications products,
systems and networks to military, government, and
commercial organizations worldwide. Harris Corporation
is an international communications equipment company
focused on providing product, system, and service
solutions for government and commercial customers.
The company’s five operating divisions serve
markets for government communications, tactical radio,
broadcast, microwave, and network support systems.
Harris serves customers in more than 150 countries.
The
ceremony is the culmination of the third modernization
project of the AFP. It can be recalled that last year,
a total of 402 Squad Automatic Weapons (SAW), worth
Php 117,432,000 were delivered to the Philippine Army
and the Philippine Marines. The second major breakthrough
of the AFP Modernization Program took place last February
at the GHQ Grandstand where the Armored Recovery Vehicle
(ARV) was formally turned over by FNSS of Turkey to
the AFP Chief of Staff.
