US presents radio equipment to GDF
- for use in border protection, drug fight
Stabroek News
April 6, 2007
United States Ambassador to Guyana, David Robinson yesterday handed over seven high-frequency radios along with accessories to the tune of over $57 million to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and pledged his government's continued support to the people of Guyana.
The US Ambassador noted that the radios would give the GDF new capacity to tackle narcotics trafficking and also help in its border protection.
Robinson said the radios were physical manifestations of the partnership between Washington and Georgetown, noting that when the US Government speaks about partnership its focus is on building capacity, while helping other countries reach their potential.
"These radios represent that and it also shows how deep the relationship is between the United States and Guyana," Ambassador Robinson said.
He said that he was very honoured to be handing over the equipment, which would give the GDF unprecedented coverage from any location in Guyana.
If boosted with the necessary wattage the radios can reach as far as Saudi Arabia, one expert said.
Secretary of the Defence Board, Roger Luncheon who accepted the radios on behalf of the Government of Guyana said that it was a timely gesture by the US. Luncheon also alluded to the relationship between the US and Guyana, saying that it was a longstanding and enduring one. Luncheon said Guyana's security sector would remain very important in the relationship between the US and Guyana, pointing out that the administration has held up its side and hopes that the relationship continues.
In a statement the US Embassy said the seven radios are Datron RT 7000 12-volt high-frequency radios distributed to the GDF for use in border protection, national security, and narcotics interdiction. Portable, rugged, reliable, and easy to use, the radios are commonly utilized in hostile environments and remote areas such as the Amazon and the tribal areas of Afghanistan to intercept narcotics trafficking, arms smuggling, and other criminal activity. Each radio has the capability to sync with laptop computers for voice and data communications and has a range of hundreds of miles, the US embassy said. The RT 7000 is a rugged 1.6 to 30 MHz transceiver that provides long distance voice and data capability over HF. A complete line of accessories including RF booster amplifiers, antenna tuners, and power supplies are available to complement the core RT7000 transceivers and form system configurations with RF power levels up to 1000W. Easily installable internal plug-in options add additional functionality to the basic transceiver.
All models are available in either +12Vdc or +28Vdc for use in any type of vehicle, and are fully protected against input power perturbations. The radios are waterproof and ruggedly built to meet a wide range of military specifications, including MIL-STD-810 for environmental concerns. Modes include USB, LSB, CW, and AME, and up to 1000 preset memory channels are available. The RF output power is conservatively rated at 125W, PEP, and 100W, average, and there is complete protection against antenna mismatch. Automatic BITE capability, with fault detection down to the module level, is standard in all RT7000's. BITE status messages are shown on the display to allow even unskilled operators to easily repair the radio at the field level. For interoperability purposes, the RT7000 offers FED-STD-1045A automatic link establishment (ALE). Voice encryption, DSP-based voice enhancement, and a special data filter are other embedded features that can easily be added to the standard transceiver.