Defense Industry
Sea Giraffe AMB D: Saab’s new naval radar reaches up to 250 km against air targets
Saab announced the Sea Giraffe AMB D on October 27, a new naval radar with a range of up to 250 km for air targets and up to 50 km for surface targets, built on AESA technology.
A range of up to 250 kilometres for air targets and up to 50 kilometres for surface targets is what Saab gives for the Sea Giraffe AMB D, the new naval radar it announced on Tuesday, October 27. AMB stands for Agile Multi Beam, and the D version is the latest development of the Swedish company’s Giraffe AMB radar family.
The system performs three-dimensional surveillance and tracking of targets in the air and on the sea surface. It can detect, track and classify aircraft, drones and missiles, as well as surface vessels, crewed or uncrewed. Saab intends it both for early warning and for precise target data feeding decision-making in distributed, multi-domain operations. In such operations, the company notes, reliable sensors are the foundation of operational advantage, especially in a maritime environment that is becoming increasingly complex.
AESA at the core
At the heart of the new radar is active electronically scanned array (AESA) equipment. To it Saab added a new software architecture and modern processing capabilities, aiming at better performance in air surveillance. The company bases the new version on more than 70 years of experience in radar development and more than two decades of operational use of Sea Giraffe AMB radars at sea.
The design takes account of the harsh conditions of the naval environment. The Sea Giraffe AMB D has advanced electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM), which protect its operation from jamming attempts. Its modular architecture allows integration with other ship systems, while its software-defined functions allow continuous upgrades as each navy’s operational requirements change.
“Sea Giraffe AMB D takes a proven naval radar capability to the next level, combining increased performance with a small footprint and an architecture built for continuous evolution. It is designed for the demands of today’s navies and gives customers the flexibility to evolve against future threats,” said Karl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s Surveillance business area.
The new radar was presented the same day the Swedish company announced its Canadian industrial partners for the Gripen E. A few days earlier, in its third-quarter results, Saab had announced a record order backlog of SEK 364 billion.