The sale of AN/SPS-77 Sea Giraffe 3D Air Search Radars and related equipment including support and training for the Philippine Navy, amounting to $25 million dollars has been finally approved by the United States government without any rejection from the US Congress, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Wednesday.
The Philippine government immediately requested to acquire such radars wherein the principal contractors will be VSE Corp. and Saab and it will be installed on two Philippines Navy ships that will greatly enhance the ability to detect and track air contacts, improve its monitoring capabilities on territorial waters, specifically the West Philippine sea.
The radars will likewise serve as an eye for the Philippines ships to increase its Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) capabilities, monitoring of its territorial seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). Likewise, strengthen its maritime security and helps reinforce an important U.S. regional security relationship at a time when Washington is concerned about what it sees as China’s overreaching claims in the South China Sea.
The Philippines has for quite a long time been one of the nearest U.S. allies in Asia, yet the relationship has been strained as of late as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has voiced despise and mistrust of Washington while U.S. authorities are concerned and worried about potential human rights violations specifically on the accusation of extra-judicial killings (EJK) under the Duterte administration. – JCE.
next should be weapons to intercept threats seen by these radar systems!