November
19, 2006: Pakistan is buying 3,900 American military radios for its 520,000 man
army. Most of these radios are 20 watt tactical radios (43 percent of them
portable, the rest mounted in trucks). There are also 175 150 watt radios, for
long range communications. The 20 watt radios have a range of about 20
kilometers (but this varies with antenna used, and how hilly the terrain is.)
The 150 watt radios are often equipped with an antenna that give them a range
of 300 kilometers, or more. The Harris Falcon II series radios are sold to
armed forces all over the world, cost about $40,000 each, and include a full
range of modern features (encryption, frequency hopping and the like.) The U.S.
will probably pay for all this, as part of its increasing aid for Pakistani
counter-terrorism efforts.
