Philippine Air Force receives mobile air surveillance radar from Japan

Japan has delivered the TPS-P14ME air surveillance radar (pictured), manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, to the Philippine Air Force. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation )

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has received a mobile radar system from Japan to strengthen air surveillance.

Japan has delivered the TPS-P14ME radar manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Melco) to the PAF, the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) announced in late April.

“[The TPS-P14ME radar] will provide high-resolution surveillance of air and surface targets, significantly enhancing the PAF's ability to detect and track potential threats with precision,” the DND said.

“The deployment of this mobile radar system strengthens the Philippines' air-defence network, providing real-time situational awareness and early warning capabilities,” the DND added.

This new radar will be operated by the PAF's 580th Aircraft Control and Warning Wing, the DND said.

According to Melco, the TPS-P14ME is a 3D radar based on the company's J/TPS-P14, which is operated by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). It can detect and track multiple aerial targets. It operates in the S-band (2–4 GHz) and has an instrumented range of around 463 km. The radar features gallium nitride (GaN)-based transmit/receive modules (TRMs). It can be transported in a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft.

The TPS-P14ME radar is the second of four radar systems that the PAF will acquire from Melco as part of a USD103.5 million contract signed in August 2020.

In November 2023 Japan's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) announced that the first air surveillance radar system had been delivered to the PAF. The first radar is very likely based on Melco's J/FPS-3 air surveillance radar, which has been in service with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) since the early 1990s.