MaxDefense Philippines said on February 18 that it has received a “word that Mitsubishi Electric is set to win the Philippine Air Force’s Air Surveillance Radar (Phase 2) project under a G2G deal between the Philippines and Japan’s defense ministries.”
“Mitsubishi Electric offered an improved version of the J/FPS-3 radar, both in fixed and mobile variants. This could be bound to become Japan’s first export of military radars, and probably their first export of the J/FPS-3 radar after a failed bid in Thailand a few years ago,” MaxDefense noted.
MaxDefense also said that this acquisition is under Air Surveillance Radar (Phase 2) Acquisition Project which will provide Philippine Air Force (PAF) 3 fixed and a mobile radar system under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program Horizon 2.
Under the Phase 1 of the said project, PAF acquired three ELM-2288 AD-STAR radars from Israeli ELTA Systems.
National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana previously said Japan and Philippines are in talks for acquisition of radar systems.
“Yes, they are offering to us their latest radars,” Secretary Lorenzana said in December 2018. “It is one of the platforms being evaluated by the PAF. To monitor aircrafts and seacrafts traversing, entering or leaving our territory.”
According to a handout by Japanese Ministry of Defense, “the J/FPS-3 is an active phased array radar system that provides enhanced detection and tracking capabilities when compared to conventional radar systems. It has both long-range and short-range antennas, and its pseudo radio wave generator is useful for electronic warfare purposes.”
(Mintfo)