WASHINGTON , Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The communications capabilities of the Afghan army will be improved soon with the receipt of a new portable radio systems built by Raytheon. The company said Tuesday that the Pentagon's Military's Office of Security Cooperation-Afghanistan, or OSC-A, has approved the deployment of its ACU-T tactical communications device as a means of tying together current radio and telephone communications. Financial terms of the deal were not announced. Raytheon said in a news release that some Afghan units currently use both VHF and UHF radios , while others have to pick up a telephone in order to contact command posts or other units. The ACU-T has the capability to put together radio and phone communications in remote areas. "The decision to purchase an ACU-T was simple for us ," said Lt. Col. Jose Rodriguez , head of communications for OSC-A. "It provided the ability to link our different radios to one another with different wave forms on the same nets and allowed for our radio users to connect with our telephone users." The system has been undergoing field testing at Afghan command centers in Kabul and Pol-e-Charkhi , Rodriguez said in a Raytheon news release. The 8-pound device built by Raytheon subsidiary JPS Communications contains a computer that interfaces radio and telephone traffic , allowing users to communicate directly. The ACU-T is also able to link up with Radio over Internet Protocol. "The ACU-T has eliminated the need for message relaying and has significantly decreased the time it takes to properly transmit a message to its intended recipient ," Rodriguez added. "Now , soldiers or army offices can communicate in a timely and efficient manner." Communications has been a high priority for the U.S. military in Afghanistan , where small units have been chasing suspected terrorists through remote and rugged mountain areas where telephone and radio capabilities can be spotty.

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