The Air Surveillance Radar System (ASRS) acquired by the Philippines from Japan will allow the country to detect intrusions within 300 nautical miles. The ASRS deal highlights Japan’s “concrete steps and concrete actions” as a strategic partner of the Philippines. The Philippines is the first ever recipient of Official Security Assistance from Japan which was pledged during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the country in November this year. The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said the PHP5.5 billion ASRS deal with MELCO consists of three fixed FPS-3ME and a mobile TPS-P14ME. These radar systems will be operated by the PAF’s 580th Aircraft Control and Warning Wing and is under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Horizon Plan 2.
“Today, we witnessed one of the concrete steps and concrete actions that our strategic partner Japan has done in order to firm our alliance particularly on the security side,” Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Wednesday.
The Air Surveillance Radar System (ASRS) was procured via a government-to-government deal where the DND signed the project’s contract on Aug. 14, 2020. The contract includes the radar platform with support facilities that includes radar tower and radome, command-and-control building, communications infrastructure, electric power generator building and housing for the mobile radar and its vehicles. It also includes support vehicles for the mobile radar, training, maintenance facilities and initial integrated logistics support systems (ILS). The ASRS are designed for early warning, and land and maritime surveillance, whether for fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, or remotely piloted vehicles.
It also said the ASRS acquisition will enhance the country’s ability to monitor air and maritime activities in the region. It will provide near-real time information and overall air situational picture for our strategic decision-makers in all spectrum of operations thus making the PAF responsive to the national security requirements. The pre-delivery inspection of the first unit of ASRS was conducted on Oct. 4 to 8, 2022, in Japan. The first unit of the ASRS was delivered to the country on Dec. 7, 2022, which was followed by the construction and installation of radar tower and C-2 building that were undertaken in the succeeding months. The MELCO radar passed the acceptance test last Oct. 24 and has been in use since then.
