Canada upgrades its Halifax-class frigates
The 12 Canadian-built Halifax-class multi-role patrol frigates are undergoing an upgrade with new radar antenna kits. (Photo: Royal Canadian Navy)
The Royal Canadian Navy has contracted Saab to provide multi-role Sea Giraffe AMB naval radars antenna kits for the upgrade of its Halifax-class frigates.
The contract also includes associated equipment and spare parts with an order value over SEK 300 million ($33 million).
The upgrade is based on the customer’s requirement to sustain the service life and enhances the performance of Halifax-class frigates.
The Halifax fleet also recently completed a Frigate Equipment Life Extension programme, which incorporated elements of the 9LV combat system to integrate with additional sensors and weapons.
The work will be carried out in Canada and Sweden, starting this year and continuing through to 2026.
Sea Giraffe AMB is a multi-role 3D surveillance radar system for naval applications. It provides medium range, simultaneous air and surface surveillance and has a weapon designation capability.
It is suitable for demanding naval environments, from littoral to blue-water operations.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the Sea Giraffe AMB has the ability to simultaneously track air and surface targets, with an optional mortar and rocket detection capability.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.