Introduced in 1999, the Saab Giraffe AMB (agile multi-beam) 3D radar has become one of the world’s leading multirole air defense radars. Derived from the earlier G40 and G75 mechanically scanned radars, the AMB has an active electronically scanned antenna that provides a range of around 75 miles and altitude capability of more than 60,000 feet. The antenna rotates once every second to provide full 360-degree coverage, and in its current version provides detection from surface level up to an elevation of 70 degrees. It has found applications around the world, including in the UAE and Afghanistan.
Originally the Giraffe AMB was developed for the air defense mission and, as such, has been bought by several nations. As well as its defensive capabilities, it can also be used to provide air traffic control, and is particularly useful for deployed operations. In its major application the radar and its operator stations are packaged into a ruggedized container that can be deployed by military vehicle and established for use within a short space of time. It can be connected into wider air defense networks, and can also be operated remotely.
Designed to work with various missile defense systems that operate at different altitudes, Giraffe AMB is the main radar sensor for the Swedish ground-based air defense environment, working with BAMSE, RBS 70 and I-HAWK missiles. In French and Estonian service it is paired with Mistral missiles, and it has also been integrated with VL MICA. The Sea Giraffe derivative is a naval version offering additional tracking capability against missiles and surface targets, and is in service with Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, the U.S. and the UAE (on Baynunah-class corvettes).
In 2007 Saab introduced the Mod B version of the Giraffe AMB, which added a counter rockets and mortar (CRAM) capability to the radar. This functionality was improved with the Mod C, which is the current production radar. Adding CRAM made Giraffe a useful tool in the protection of deployed bases, and a number have been deployed for use by forces in Afghanistan, where they have provided both air defense and CRAM protection. By tracking rockets and mortars in the initial phase of their trajectories the Giraffe can provide both point of origin and predicted point of impact data. By linking two Giraffe units together the CRAM capability can be further refined.
Drawing on this experience of asset protection, Saab has developed the Giraffe further to provide protection for high-value locations with a pedestal-mounted antenna and a control room that can be located up to a kilometer away from the radar. This type of installation has been acquired by the U.S. State Department for the protection of a key facility in Afghanistan. It will continue to provide a threat warning function for the facility long after U.S. combat forces have been withdrawn from the theater. The radar was selected after experience of operating two mobile units that were borrowed from the U.S. Army.
Saab has also devised a system that is packaged into a standard 20-foot ISO container, which can be moved easily into position. The container version can be quickly rigged with the antenna, which is carried in the container for transportation. The antenna is mounted on top of the container for use, without the extending mast that is employed by the battlefield version.
While it retains traditional capability against high and fast air targets, Giraffe AMB has carved out a niche as an excellent radar for use against small targets that fly low and slow, representing the type of threats that are increasingly encountered by today’s forces. Saab continues to develop the radar’s capabilities along those lines, paying particular attention to further enhancing performance in heavy ground clutter environments, such as experienced in urban areas or in the vicinity of windfarms.
