Lebanese Army is procuring $5 million Datron Communication systems

This article first appeared on LAF Digest (Unofficial)

Datron World Communication Inc. has been awarded a $5.1 million order to supply Lebanon with Datron equipment by January 2018 (Ref). The published award does not detail the equipment involved, but Datron manufactures a range of HF and VHF military voice & data communication systems.

Datron previously supplied the Afghan Army with PRC-1077 man-pack VHF radio, HH7700 VHF handheld radio, RT-7000 long-range HF radio, and PRC-1099 man-portable HF radio. We would expect that the contract of the Lebanese Army involves some of these models.

The Lebanese Army has been bolstering its communication capabilities for years now with several contracts with other suppliers such as Harris Corporation, most notably of which is a recent contract to supply comprehensive in-field tactical networks systems.

This article first appeared on LAF Digest (Unofficial)

Harris Radios with LAF by September 2014

 Harris Radios had won a contract supply Lebanon with a number of communication equipment back in 2013 with completion by September 2014 (ref).

The contract, worth  7.7 million USD, includes 300 radio kits for dismounted patrol, 15 radio kits for vehicular patrol, 15 HF vehicular systems, 8 50Watts multiband basestation Systems, 8 50Watts basestation systems, 8 operator stations, along to their installation and training (ref).

LAF receives 50 Vertex VX-454 portable radios as a local aid

Tabbara General Company LLC donated 50 Vertex VX-454 portable radio along to their accessories and complementary systems during October 2014. Source: Lebanese Official Gazette issue 49, November, 2014.

The Vertex VX-454 is an industrial grade device built with military standards for ruggedness and meets the P57 ingress protection standard where the device can be submersed in water to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes without damaging it.

The device features 12-channel capacity, 2 groups, seven programmable keys, voice inversion encryption, whisper, CTCSS / DCS Encode and Decode, and more...

UK intends to expand its ‘train and equip’ programme for the LAF's Border Regiments

During his visit to Lebanon, UK's Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton, asserted his country's intention to support the Border Regiments of the Lebanese Armed Forces with Land Rover Defenders, personal protective equipment, protected border observation posts, and radio equipment (ref).

More details are given by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mr Tobias Ellwood, who explains that the aid consists of (ref):

• 800 sets of Personal Protective Equipment, including body armour, helmets, gloves, belts, first aid kits, camouflage clothing and protective glasses: £793,600
• 14 Land Rover Defenders and additional equipment to enable them to operate in difficult terrain: £408,244
• 5 Protected Border Observation Posts and 6 Mobile Observation Platforms, with observation aids and ballistic protection for fixed 3LBR positions: £1,395,000
• Radio equipment to allow the command elements of 3LBR to link back to LAF HQ in Beirut: £1,000,000

Previously, UK had delivered 12 Protected Border Observation Posts along a number of Land Reover Defenders, protective equipment and communication, to support the establishement of the 1st and second Border Regiments. The new expected equipment are intended for the newly established 3rd Border Regiment.

One of the Mobile Observation Platform (Source: thinkdefence.co.uk)