UK Ministry of Defense Orders Additional Giraffe AMB Radar System from SAAB.

[Zarvan]

Defence and security company Saab has received orders from the UK Ministry of Defence for additional Giraffe AMB radar systems plus upgrades of the existing systems and associated equipment. The order value is approximately SEK 610 million. Deliveries will start during the second half of 2015 and continue until 2018.

Giraffe AMB radar used by Australian Defense Forces for early warning of incoming missiles, artillery or mortar ammunition (Photo SAAB)

The Giraffe AMB radar provides a full 360° update of the air situation out to 120 km every second. It can operate in challenging environments such as mountains, complex coastal regions and wind farm areas. The upgrade will take the UK’s existing systems to the same production-build standard as the new Giraffe AMB, enhancing the primary radar’s performance and capacity. It also keeps the UK’s radars in line with the Giraffe product roadmap. This, in turn, will enable the addition of a unique capability to spot small UAS vehicles and the capacity to screen out difficult radar ‘clutter’, such as birds.

“We are delighted to have agreed this significant expansion and upgrade of the Giraffe AMB fleet with the UK MoD. We are looking forward to supporting both potential mission deployments and further system evolutions based on our spiral development plan for Giraffe,” says Micael Johansson, head of Saab business area Electronic Defence Systems.

The multi-mission Giraffe AMB surveillance radar system was first acquired by the United Kingdom in 2008 as part of the Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) programme. Since deliveries started in 2010 it has been used to provide the real-time air picture in support of airspace management on deployed operations and at major events in the UK. It has also made a vital contribution to force protection through the detection and prediction of impact of incoming rockets, artillery shells and mortars.

The Giraffe AMB is part of Saab’s Giraffe product family that includes high-performance air and sea surveillance and target indication radars, covering very short to long ranges. The Giraffe also has essential command and control for ground based air defence and sense-and-warn applications.

UK Ministry of Defense Orders Additional Giraffe AMB Radar System from SAAB | August 2015 Global Defense Security news UK | Defense Security global news industry army 2015

 

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Britain Orders Giraffe Air Defense Radars for Falklands
By Andrew Chuter
August 24, 2015


LONDON — Britain has ordered additional Saab-built Giraffe AMB radars to bolster ground-based air defenses on the Falkland Islands against a possible future threat from Argentina.

The Swedish company announced Aug. 24 that it had received an order valued at 610 Swedish krona million (US $74 million) from the UK Ministry of Defence for the supply of new radars and the upgrade of existing systems.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the destination of the new radars.

The MoD confirmed in the first quarter of the year it was upgrading Falkland's air defenses including mandating the use of the Giraffe in the update.

Sources familiar with Britain's ground-based air defense effort confirmed the majority of the work announced today was destined for the Falklands.

A Saab spokesman declined to comment on where the new radars could be deployed following delivery.

Purchase of the medium range 3-D radars is part of a wider program being undertaken by the British to improve the air defenses of the South Atlantic islands.

An industry competition to supply a new battle management C4I system is currently being fought by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Saab and possibly others.

The MoD has already selected missile maker MBDA's future local area air defense system (FLAADS) to replace aging Rapier weapons on the islands as part of the upgrade.

FLAADS is currently in a £228 million (US $357.6 million) development phase at MBDA.

In 1982, Britain fought a war with Argentina over the islands, which Buenos Aires calls the Malvinas. A dispute over sovereignty of the territory continues to rumble on at the diplomatic level.

The UK stations Typhoon combat jets, warships, helicopters and troops on the islands to defend the overseas territory, which lays some 300 miles off the Argentine coast.

The Argentines have for several years been trying to modernize a combat jet force of A-4 Skyhawks and Super Etendards so far without success.

The Giraffe contract was secured by Saab in the summer but is only now being officially announced.

The company said in a statement that deliveries will start this year and continue through to 2018.

The British have been operating Giraffe since an urgent operational requirement in 2007 saw three systems leased from the Swedes for use in Afghanistan and Iraq. The British later purchased new radars.

It is reckoned the British have around six Giraffes, although it is not known how many of those are already based in the Falklands.

An MoD source said the new order would take the Giraffe force into double figures.

Saab said the upgrade work planned for existing Giraffes would take the radar up to the current production standard and would allow the system to take advantage of future upgrades.

The Swedish company specifically mentioned a future capability to spot small unmanned air systems while screening out difficult radar clutter such as birds.

Micael Johansson, head of Saab's electronic defense systems business, said the new order was a "significant expansion and upgrade of the Giraffe radar fleet with the UK MoD."

Britain Orders Giraffe Air Defense Radars for Falklands