Saab adds Counter-UAS Capabilities to Giraffe AMB Radar Family

GIRAFFE Radar -
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Saab's Giraffe AMB Gets Counter-Unmanned Air Systems Capabilities

Saab has demonstrated ‘Enhanced Low, Slow and Small’ (ELSS) functionfor its Giraffe AMB radar to counter-Unmanned Air Systems (UAS).


This allows the Giraffe AMB to undertake dedicated operations, while conducting its full suite of regular air surveillance functions.


The new ELSS function was demonstrated in April during a UK-government sponsored trial to test and evaluate radar performance against demanding air targets in a complex environment.


News from Saab - 20150914-giraffe-radar-shows-enhanced-anti-uas-skills-en-1-1048679.pdf

With remarkable accuracy the ELSS function automatically finds and classifies low, slow and small targets; as slow and small as the quadcopter UAS vehicles typically flown by hobbyists. During the Bristow 15 trials, targets had a radar cross section as small as 0.001 sq metres. Saab’s ELSS function pushes the boundaries of small target detection, combines that with the latest in tracking technology and novel target classification techniques and wraps it up with a newly- designed, purpose-built human machine interface concept.

Although it was demonstrated on this occasion with the Giraffe AMB, the ELSS function can now be implemented on all Saab Giraffe radars. This means the Giraffe family of radars uniquely provides a
simultaneous capability to detect and classify all kinds of air vehicles from ballistic missiles to the very small UAS.

Related/Background:

GIRAFFE Radar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Saab (formerly Ericsson Microwave Systems AB) GIRAFFE Radar is a family of land and naval two- or three-dimensional G/H-band (4 to 8 GHz) Passive electronically scanned array radar-based surveillance and air defense command and control systems tailored for operations with medium- and Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) missile or gun systems or for use as gap-fillers in a larger air defense system. The radar gets its name from the distinctive folding mast which when deployed allows the radar to see over nearby terrain features such as trees, extending its effective range against low-level air targets. The first systems were produced in 1977. By 2007, some 450 units of all types are reported as having been delivered.
Saab Electronic Defence Systems (EDS) on May 2014 unveiled two new classes of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar—three land-based systems (Giraffe 1X, Giraffe 4A and Giraffe 8A) and two naval variants (Sea Giraffe 1X and Sea Giraffe 4A) in X- and S-band frequencies—to complement its existing surface radar portfolio.^[1]

•  spendergast: Saab's Sea Giraffe Radar now AN/SPS-77(V)1 on U.S. Navy LCS-2