Saab offers to make Giraffe 1X radar in India

Swedish defence major Saab AB (SAAB-B.SK) is pitching its lightweight Giraffe 1X radar for use by the Indian civil and defence forces.

“Saab is currently prepared to participate with Giraffe 1X in trials taking place in India,” read a communiqué by the company. “Giraffe 1X is perfect for India and ready to be made in India.”

“Technology has got to the point where as soon as modern troops begin any sort of transmission, they expose themselves and can expect a threat to start coming in their direction,” explains Rickard Dalsjö, Product Manager at Saab. “In some situations, they have to move from a position within seconds.”

Capable of being carried in a conventional vehicle, the Giraffe 1X radar system provides situational awareness and can be switched on and off in an instant.

The Giraffe 1X radar can also play a key role in ground-based air defence. With many conflicts now occurring, in for example complex urban terrain, ground troops need to be agile and able to respond quickly to threats. While other ground-based radar systems often weigh around 1.5 tonnes and require a truck for transport, the Giraffe 1X system only weighs 150 kilograms and can be carried by a conventional vehicle. No single component weighs more than 60 kilograms, so the system can be used from a vehicle or quickly relocated using manpower.

“In urban warfare situations, the Giraffe 1X can be deployed within minutes for example at a rooftop of a building and at the same time the personnel and the vehicle will be well protected somewhere else,” says Dalsjö.

With its mast extended, the Giraffe 1X can detect large aircraft at a distance up to 100 kilometres and is well suited to detect incoming missiles and mortars. The Giraffe 1X can be used with Saab’s software-based Enhanced Low, Slow and Small (ELSS) functionality, enabling the Giraffe 1X to detect and classify objects as small as hobby store drones at vast distances. The Giraffe 1X can also distinguish the drones from birds, which have very similar movement patterns.

Giraffe 1X has attracted considerable interest from other sectors. Dalsjö explains that the performance and relative affordability of the system has created an interest from a number of airports around the world as a part of their anti-drone strategy. “The Giraffe 1X can also be used as a part of the protection of other critical infrastructure such as embassies,” says Dalsjö.