The US Special Forces trainers that worked in the south to prepare Filipino troops to better deal with the Abu Sayyaf did more than just instruct. Noting that Filipino troops were lousy shots mainly because their weapons were ancient and worn out, the Special Forces convinced the government to issue the troops new weapons. The Americans also noted the Filipino troops were using radios that the rebels could listen in on. So the Americans arranged for the Filipino troops to get new radios that used encryption. There were several other improvements in equipment, which made the Filipino troops a lot more enthusiastic about the strenuous training program the Special Forces set up. It all paid off, as more contacts were made with the Abu Sayyaf, and more of the rebels were killed or captured.