Perth, Western Australia – Monday 2nd November 2020 – Barrett Communications recently delivered High Frequency (HF) radio communications equipment for the first phase an inter – island project under the Vanuatu-Australia Defence Cooperation Program. This equipment will be used to upgrade an existing Barrett HF system which is almost 20 years old.

The new equipment supplied is the Barrett 4050 HF Software Defined Radio (SDR) and will support and enhance the Vanuatu Police presence and disaster management programs across the island nation.

Barrett 4050 HF SDR and 4022 Power supply

Mr Martin Johnson, Barrett Business Development Director advised “We supplied our latest system about 20 years ago but as with all technology, HF radio has come a long way in that time. The Barrett 4050 now offers the operators greater quality audio which comes with the Digital Voice (DV) and Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) options. The ALE automates the frequency selection when linking of multiple stations to ensure the best quality audio and the DV removes the “white noise” associated with older style HF radio. All of these features enable the operator to use the equipment with minimal training and allow them to focus on the job at hand.”

In her recent announcement, Australian Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC stated “Australia is proud to partner with the Vanuatu Police Force to design and deliver an enduring solution that meets Vanuatu’s needs. The project provides an invaluable avenue for enhanced collaboration, training and interoperability between our nations – including during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations”.

The Barrett 4050 HF SDR is used by governments and disaster management organisations worldwide to provide security, disaster response and health radio networks that do not require expensive infrastructure and are totally autonomous.