UK orders 11 Saab Giraffe 1X air surveillance radars

BELFAST — The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed two contracts at a combined cost of SEK 264 million ($25.6 million) with Swedish manufacturer Saab for production and support of 11 Giraffe 1X 3D air surveillance radars, the company announced today.

Saab describes the Giraffe 1X as a lightweight, multi-mission, 3D surveillance radar for simultaneous air and surface surveillance, capable of offering commanders quality air defense target data, drone detection and Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) sense and warn within a single solution.

The acquisition “is largely for operational environments” according to a company statement, which notes that delivery of the first system is already underway. A single unit has been procured by the Royal Navy and will be mounted and tested on the XV (Experimental Vessel) Patrick Blackett, a vessel that has been modified by the Royal Navy’s NavyX innovation group from a Dutch-built Damen 4008 fast crew supply ship to test, trial and experiment new military technologies. It left Portsmouth Naval Base in February to “undergo sea acceptance trials,” according to the Royal Navy.

“This new capability for the UK has been procured on the basis of Giraffe 1X being the fastest and most effective solution available, with a proven capability that enjoys a high degree of confidence amongst Counter-Unmanned Air Systems (C-UAS) experts,” added the manufacturer.

The contracts also include software upgrades to support operational threats with work on that front taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden and the UK.

The UK already has a base of Saab radars with ARTHUR (designated MAMBA in UK service) in operation since 2004, and land-based Giraffe Agile Multi Beam (AMB) radars in service since 2010, according to the manufacturer.

The new contracts between the two sides build on a series of land based orders signed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including “several thousand” of the Saab-produced Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) systems and Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles.

Based on increased demand across Europe, Saab said in February that it expects production of weapon systems from the company’s ground combat portfolio to reach an annual output of 400,000 units.