Government signs P2-B air surveillance radar deal

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government has signed a deal with an Israeli company for the purchase of three air surveillance radars worth P2.68 billion to strengthen the Philippines’ monitoring activities in the West Philippine Sea.

The Department of National Defense (DND) and Elta System Ltd. signed the contract for the project last Dec. 21, documents seen by The STAR showed.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin signed the deal in behalf of the government while Elta regional director for marketing and sales Ilan Bublil represented the Israeli firm.

Doron Peled, head of the budgetary and control division of the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s International Defense Cooperation, also signed the deal as a witness.

The letter of credit, a document that assures the supplier that the Philippine government has money in the bank to pay for the radars, was opened in the third week of January.

Under the contract, Elta is supposed to deliver the first of three radars within 22 months after the opening of the letter of credit.

The second is expected to be delivered within 28 months after the opening of the letter of credit or within six months after the initial delivery.

The third radar is scheduled to arrive within 34 months after the opening of the letter of credit or one year after the first radar is delivered. Defense officials previously said the radars may be delivered in 2017.

“The surveillance radars will help us monitor our territorial airspace and air defense identification zone,” Air Force spokesman Col. Enrico Canaya said yesterday.

Canaya said the radars would complement the FA-50 lead-in fighter jets acquired by the Philippines from South Korea. The Philippines is spending P18.9 billion to buy 12 FA-50s to improve its territorial defense capabilities.