Saab to supply Giraffe radars to US Air Force in Europe
The order for the radars was placed by BAE Systems. (Photo: Saab)
Saab began development of the radar in 2012. Production started in 2014 and Sweden ordered systems in 2020 for SEK2.1 billion as part of a five-year deal.
Saab will supply US Air Force in Europe (USAFE) with multiple Giraffe 4A radar systems under a SEK525 million (US$48 million) order placed by BAE Systems on 9 December.
The number of systems included in the contract was not disclosed and deliveries are expected to start in 2027. The systems will provide long-range surveillance and air base air defence in a mobile package for USAFE.
The Giraffe 4A is a medium- to long-range multi-function radar system that combines designs from the Arthur and Giraffe AMB product families. It utilises an AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar sensor, offering all-weather coverage against diverse aerial threats, including low-speed UAVs and supersonic missiles.
The radar operates in the S-band frequency, employing GaN (Gallium Nitride) technology for enhanced performance.
It has an instrumented range of up to 400km for air surveillance, up to 280km for tracking air targets and 100km for mortar detection, with elevation coverage reaching up to 70°.
USAFE has seven main air bases in Europe including in the UK, Italy and Germany and notably Incirlik Air Base in Turkey near the Syrian border which is home to the 39th Air Base Wing and vital to operations in the Middle East.
The force also operates out of 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, Poland. The importance of the deployment is emphasised by the deployment in 2022 of 12 F-22 Raptors from the 90th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
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