Indonesia, umorder ng 13 long-range military radars mula sa Thales
This photograph taken on June 15, 2023 shows a Trac NG radar (Primary Surveillance Radar for Approach) on the Thales site in Ymare, near Rouen, northwestern France. (Photo by Lou BENOIST / AFP)
Inihayag ng French manufacturer at state-owned Indonesia defense firm na PT Len Industri, na umorder ang Indonesia ng 13 long-range military radars mula sa Thales upang palakasin ang kanilang airspace surveillance efforts.
Sa joint statement ng mga kompanya ay nakasaad, “The Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400a) radars will allow the Indonesian military to ‘benefit from a single air picture integrating the detection of all types of threats,’ from jets and missiles to hovering helicopters and unmanned air vehicles.”
Hindi naman ibinunyag ang halaga ng kontrata, na tatagal ng ilang taon. Bawat radar ay nagkakahalaga ng ilang milyong dolyar.
Sinabi ng presidente ng Thales International na si Pascale Sourisse, “The GM400a is a mobile radar with a range of 515 kilometres (320 miles) and ‘integrates artificial intelligence capabilities to manage the massive amounts of data’ it receives.”
Ayon kay Sourisse, “The purchase of the 13 latest-generation radars ‘shows this country’s concern for monitoring the surrounding airspace, which is directly linked to the situation in the Indo-Pacific,’ where China is asserting its ambitions.”
Nakapaloob sa kontrata ang pagbuo ng Thales ng mga radar at ng computer system para sa pagproseso ng impormasyong kanilang natatanggap. Ang PT Len ang mamamahala sa pagtatayo ng mga istasyon kung saan ilalagay ang kagamitan, gayundin ang ilang bahagi ng mga radar.
Ang lumalagong geopolitical tensions ay humantong sa malakas na paglago ng radar market, at sinabi ni Sourisse na ito ang dahilan kung bakit binago ng Thales ang pang-industriyang organisasyon nito at bumuo ng mga kapasidad sa produksyon sa mga bagong bansa pati na rin sa France.
Sinabi pa niya, “We have to set up in new countries to meet the needs in terms of production volume, but also the requirements of our customers who want to take advantage of these contracts to develop their country’s economy, create jobs and benefit from technology transfers to master new skills.”
Ayon sa Thales, mahigit 80 GM400 at GM400a radars na ang naipagbili sa 19 na mga bansa.
