$25 Million For Military Tactical Communications
By Izam Said Ya'akub

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Ministry of Defence has awarded Harris Corporation a $25 million contract to provide tactical communications to the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF).

Under the contract, Harris Corporation, who are experts within the international communications and information technology field, will provide the RBAF with radios, accessories and other equipment as part of the Combat Net Radio (CNR), the armed forces' replacement programme.

Harris will supply a range of equipment, including its new RF-7800S Secure Personal Radio, a lightweight wideband radio that delivers secure tactical communications to individual soldiers. The RBAF will also purchase the Harris RF-5800H and RF-5800V high-frequency and very high frequency manpack radios, as well as accessories, installation and training services.

"This programme builds upon our long and valued relationship with the armed forces of Brunei and is part of Harris' push to deploy networked communications to improve situational awareness and force effectiveness worldwide,' said Ed Lockwood, vice-president of international sales, Harris RF Communications in a press statement.

"Our products will be used to provide a secure and integrated communications network linking the new Ministry of Defence Joint Operations Centre to regional base stations and other parts of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces."

The Harris RF-7800s provides impressive communications capabilities with unique, full duplex, dualnet voice capability, allowing up to three operators to talk simultaneously with an unlimited number of listeners.

The radio's advanced waveform ensures more than two kilometres range over open terrain and a superior ability to penetrate buildings and other structures.

It incorporates a built-in Standard Positioning Service (SPS) GPS receiver, which allows for real-time position tracking and messaging services. It comes along with a standard rechargeable battery, and the radio weighs less than 600 grams.

In December 2007, The Brunei Times reported that Harris RF Communications was one of two companies which the Ministry of Defence had narrowed down selection for the CNR programme. The other company was Germany's Rohde & Schwarz GmBH & Co.

The CNR project has been tentatively scheduled for implementation over a four-year period sometime this year, and is set to replace the existing radio communications system in all the RBAFs services headquarters and other relevant assets.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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