BJELOVAR, Jan 22 (Hina) - A new radar system, worth USD230 million, was presented at a session of the Parliament Committee on Internal Affairs and National Security in Bjelovar on Tuesday. The system includes nine radars, whose
purchase Croatia agreed on back in 1999. For that purpose the country was granted a loan, with a payback period of ten years. Assistant Defence Minister Zlatko Gareljic said Croatia needed the new radar system for civilian and military air and sea control because the current radar system, which included Russian- and British-made radars, most of which had been seized from the JNA, was obsolete. The new system includes five FPS 117 air control radars with a range of 460 km and the Peregrine system with four radars for sea control, which are to be installed on the islands of Vis, Lastovo, Mljet and Dugi Otok. The session was informed about nine locations where the radars should be installed. Local repres
BJELOVAR, Jan 22 (Hina) - A new radar system, worth USD230 million,
was presented at a session of the Parliament Committee on Internal
Affairs and National Security in Bjelovar on Tuesday.
The system includes nine radars, whose purchase Croatia agreed on
back in 1999. For that purpose the country was granted a loan, with a
payback period of ten years.
Assistant Defence Minister Zlatko Gareljic said Croatia needed the
new radar system for civilian and military air and sea control
because the current radar system, which included Russian- and
British-made radars, most of which had been seized from the JNA, was
obsolete. The new system includes five FPS 117 air control radars
with a range of 460 km and the Peregrine system with four radars for
sea control, which are to be installed on the islands of Vis,
Lastovo, Mljet and Dugi Otok.
The session was informed about nine locations where the radars
should be installed. Local representatives from Opatija, Lovran,
Istria and Primorje-Gorski Kotar counties objected to the
locations because they believe the radars are harmful to the
environment and tourism. Committee member Damir Kajin said the
residents of Istria would oppose the installation of radars in a
referendum.
Ministry officials said that research had shown that radars were
not dangerous for health because the level of radiation from radars
was the same as from cellular phones. The radars will also be used
for air control, which brings profit and increases traffic
security, they said.
The Croatian Army Chief-of-Staff, Gen. Petar Stipetic, said the
locations should be determined as soon as possible because the
system was expensive and should be installed as soon as possible.
Committee chairwoman Djurdja Adlesic said the committee would ask
the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Zoning for opinion on
the matter.
(hina) rml