Dr M launches 2nd gen VHF radios
LANGKAWI: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has launched the second generation of military VHF radio.
Fully designed and developed in Malaysia, the TRC 5200 is a product of Sapura Thales Electronics (STE), a joint venture between Sapura Group and Thales.
Thales country director in Malaysia Thomas Pistre said this was in line with Malaysia's views on the importance of a strong local workforce in supporting the country's economic growth.
The first-generation of handheld radios was a huge commercial success with over 5,000 units sold worldwide to countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America. This new generation radio, the TRC 5200 VHF 5 watt handheld radio will be available in the market worldwide by the third quarter of 2019.
Field trials have been performed in several countries worldwide, including Malaysia, and STE expects to sell more than 10,000 units of these new generation radios within the next five years, as the first-generation radios have a proven track record across markets.
“Thales is excited to launch the new generation ‘Made in Malaysia’ radios with STE. It is a clear demonstration not only of our commitment to Malaysia’s human capital development but also how our expertise and solutions are aligned with the country’s ambitions.
"We have been working closely with our key industry partners and customers to help deepen the skills and knowledge of the local workforce and we look forward to even greater collaborations in the future, as we fulfil our offset obligations in the country,” said Pistre.
Thales has been working with key industry partners in Malaysia for over 40 years.
Since its establishment in 1996, STE has been designing, developing, producing and exporting handheld radios and tactical communication systems together with a range of accessories that are being used in several armed forces around the world.
(NST)