Saab to supply additional Sea Giraffe radars for US Navy LCS

Saab has received a follow-on order from General Dynamics (GD) for the delivery of its Sea Giraffe AMB naval radar for installation on-board the US Navy’s littoral combat ships, LCS 28 and LCS 30.

The initial contract was awarded in September 2011 to the company’s US subsidiary Saab Sensis, which covered the delivery of the radar as part of the navy’s LCS programme.

Sea Giraffe AMB is a multi-role, medium-range, 3D surveillance radar system used for naval applications, which is able to provide simultaneous air and surface surveillance.

The radar is best suited to function in demanding naval environments, ranging from the littorals to blue water operations.

The US military designation of the Sea Giraffe multi-role naval surveillance radar is AN/SPS-77.

Saab Defence and Security US president and chief executive officer Erik Smith said: “The Sea Giraffe AMB is currently being delivered to five classes of the US Navy surface ships as a part of three separate US Navy programmes, and this follow-on LCS contract further strengthens Saab’s position as a premier radar supplier for the US Navy.

“The Sea Giraffe AMB has been developed and proven to meet the requirements of US Navy missions, from air and surface surveillance to air traffic control.”

Work on the project will be carried out at Saab’s facilities in Syracuse, New York, US, and Gothenburg, Sweden.

The naval radar has been deployed on the US Navy’s USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Coronado (LCS 4), USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Montgomery (LCS 8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) and USS Omaha (LCS 12) to date.

Saab has also secured an additional contract from GD, which features options for the supply of another 11 systems under the programme through to 2024.

The company is also currently developing a derivative of the Sea Giraffe AMB known as AN/SPN-50 to meet the US Naval Air Systems Command’s air traffic control requirements on aircraft carriers and amphibious assault class vessels.