Saab Giraffe AMB sold to UK
Saab has signed a contract for the delivery of five Giraffe AMB to Lockheed Martin UK. The end customer is United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD). The contract is worth approximately 30 million GBP.
Image: Saab’s Giraffe AMB is included as a key sensor in Lockheed Martin’s system solution for United Kingdom’s so called LEAPP program. The program will supply a system that provides tactical commanders within land forces with an integrated air picture in near real time.
4/3/2008 | Saab’s Giraffe AMB is included as a key sensor in Lockheed Martin’s system solution for United Kingdom’s so called LEAPP programme, Land Environment Air Picture Provision. The programme will supply a system that provides tactical commanders within land forces with an integrated air picture in near real time. An updated situational picture gives commanders increased opportunities to plan and coordinate operations so that the risk of incidents and friendly fire is reduced.
“This is an important order for the whole Giraffe operation. United Kingdom is a significant customer and the main supplier Lockheed Martin is one of the major players in the defence industry. We hope that this will be an important reference deal and that more potential customers will choose Giraffe AMB,” says Janos Fugedi, Sales & Marketing Vice President & General Manager at Saab Microwave Systems.
Image: Janos Fugedi, Sales & Marketing Vice President & General Manager at Saab Microwave Systems.
The system fills gaps
Lockheed Martin in team with companies from the USA, United Kingdom and Sweden was selected as a main supplier for the LEAPP programme in August 2006. Since then the team has, together with the customer, carried out both system assessment and practical demonstrations to show that the system covers the capability gaps that have been identified and that it fits together with other systems in the UK armed forces and manning requirements.
The first system will be delivered to Lockheed Martin within 24 months. All five will be delivered to the UK's armed forces during 2012, when they will become operational.
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Giraffe AMB in LEAPP in brief:
- Giraffe AMB can have different functions for use within surveillance, air defence command, military air traffic control and weapon locating.
- The version included in LEAPP is a sensor unit with a 3D surveillance radar with multiple beams (Agile Multi Beam = AMB) that combines 3D measurements with good range, large altitude ceiling, rapid updating of targets such as aircraft, missiles and helicopters as well as UAVs and other targets with very small radar signatures.
- The system has good performance in rain and good interference protection.
- The sensor also has an integrated Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) and Identification Friend or Foe function (IFF).
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