US donates Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) to Philippine Navy

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San Antonio, Zambales – The Philippine Navy has received the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS), a self-sustained, unmanned Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) systems donated by the United States government.

The TARS was handed to the Philippine Navy in a formal turn-over ceremony attended by US Deputy Embassy Chief of Mission to the Philippines Michael Klescheski and Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command, Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph S Mercado.

Philippine Navy personnel demonstrates the operation of the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS), a self-sustained, unmanned Lighter Than-Air system donated by the United States for the Philippine government after the formal turn-over ceremony held at the Naval Training and Education Center in San Antonio, Zambales. The system is expected to enhance the Philippine Navy’s capability in maritime intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance by effectively detecting maritme and air traffic within the country’s coastal waters. (Dante M. Salvana)

The TARS is expected to enhance the PN’s capability in Maritime Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance by effectively detecting maritime and air traffic within the country’s coastal waters using sensors. Moreover, it will also be utilized in the conduct of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) operations.

The TARS also includes a weather station that provides telemetry data to the ground station for the monitoring of ambient temperature, pressure, wind speed and other pertinent parameters in the operation of the system. ( Dante M. Salvana)