SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) – The provincial government of La Union welcomed the inauguration of the country’s first Advanced Air Surveillance Radar System (ASRS) at the Wallace Air Station here.

La Union Governor Raphaelle Veronica “Rafy” Ortega-David said the facility shall enhance the military’s capability to monitor the country’s airspace. 

“This surveillance system is very vital in monitoring and strengthening the security of our country… [Please be assured] that we will utilize this radar system to its maximum potential and will work on securing and monitoring our seas,” Ortega-David said in her statement posted on  Facebook.

The radar system has a range of 300 nautical miles and is capable of detecting aircraft and other flying objects over the West Philippine Sea.

It also gave the Philippine Air Force the capability to detect threats within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The surveillance system, which was designed and built by Mitsubishi Electric Corp., was turned over by the Embassy of Japan to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) through Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Lt. Gen. Stephen Parreña, commanding general of the Air Force, last month.

The facility is the first of four radar systems to be delivered by the Mitsubishi Electric Corp. under a P5.5 billion government-to-government contract. (JCR/AMB/MJTAB/CCMT, PIA La Union)