Basic Information

Name

Giraffe 4A Swedish Multi-Mission Surveillance Radar

Designation

Giraffe 4A Radar

Alternate Designation

Giraffe 4A Radar

Equipment Type

Multi-Mission Radar

Manufacturer

Saab

Date of Introduction

1977

Description

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. Multimission flexibility - Giraffe 4A combines the battle-proven designs from the Arthur and Giraffe AMB product families with an all-new radar sensor, based on AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) technology. This new radar offers exceptional range, performance and multi-function operational flexibility in a single solution. Air surveillance The ability to identify and track a high number of objects simultaneously makes the system suitable for air and sea surveillance as well as military ATC. Ground-based air defence Tracks air targets together with identification capability to to support multiple simultaneous engagements. Weapon locating Tracks ballistic projectiles and calculates point of origin and point of impact for counter-battery fire or adjustment of own fire. Sense and warn The ability to detect and warn for small incoming ballistic objects offers valuable protection of own forces or civilian protection objects. Operational in all climate zones Giraffe 4A is specified for operation in extreme climates, ranging from inland, coastal and hot desert to Arctic environments. Giraffe 4A is reliable and easy to operate. Redundant design such as the AESA concept makes the time between critical failure extremely long; >2,500 h while typical repair time is less than 45 min. Large volume C-UAS surveillance Features include Saab’s unique function for enhanced low, slow and small (ELSS) target detection, which provides a dedicated counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capability.

Ground Specifications

Crew 2

Variants

Giraffe 40 This is a short-range (40 kilometres (25 mi) instrumented) air defense radar with command and control capability. It employs a folding antenna mast that extends to a height of 13 metres (43 ft) when deployed and can be integrated with an Interrogation Friend or Foe (IFF) capability. Coverage is stated to be from ground level to 10,000 metres (33,000 ft) in altitude. In Swedish service the radar is designated PS-70 and PS-701 and provides target data to RBS-70 SHORADS missiles and 40mm Bofors guns. A more powerful version with a 60 kW transmitter is known commercially as Super Giraffe and in Swedish service as PS-707. These radars are no longer marketed.

Giraffe 50AT This is the model used in the Norwegian NALLADS air defense system which combines the radar and RBS-70 missiles with 20 mm anti-aircraft guns to provide low-level air defense for the combat brigades of the Norwegian army. Mounted on a BV-206 all-terrain tracked vehicle this version has an instrumented range of 50 km (31 mi). The antenna extends to a height of 7 metres (23 ft) and the system can control up to 20 firing units of guns or missiles or a combination of both. The Command and Control system features fully automatic track initiation, target tracking, target identification (IFF), target classification and designation, hovering helicopter detection threat evaluation and handling of "pop-up" targets. It can also exchange data with Giraffe 75 or AMB systems as part of a larger network

Giraffe 75 This features a 13 metres (43 ft) antenna mast and is normally carried on a 6x6 5-ton cross-country truck which carries the radar and command and control shelter. Instrumented range is 75 km (47 mi) and altitude coverage extends from ground-level to 10,000 metres (33,000 ft). An optional add-on unit extends the radars coastal defense capabilities. In Swedish service the radar is designated PS-90.[3] In the Greek Air Force Giraffe 75 is used in combination with Contraves (now Rheinmetall defense) Skyguard/Sparrow fire control systems. 1 Giraffe typically controls 2 Skyguard systems each with 2 twin 35 mm GDF-005 guns and 2 Sparrow surface-to-air missile launchers.

Giraffe S Optimized as a mobile radar for un-manned remote-controlled applications as a "gap-filler" in air defense early warning systems concentrating on small, low-flying targets over a long distance. It can also be employed as a coastal surveillance radar where targets are small surface vessels and sea-skimming missiles or aircraft. A new antenna extends range coverage to 180 km (110 mi) with altitude coverage from ground level to 6,000 metres (20,000 ft). The antenna mast extends to 8 metres (26 ft).

Giraffe AMB Giraffe Agile Multi Beam is a passive electronically scanned array radar, providing multi-beam 3-Dimensional air coverage at 5.4 to 5.9 GHz with instrumented ranges of 30 km (19 mi), 60 km (37 mi) and 100 km (62 mi), the altitude coverage is extended from ground-level to 20,000 metres (66,000 ft) with 70-degree elevation coverage. Data rate is 1-scan per-second. Its maintained pulse density suppresses high cluttering in adverse weather conditions. Ultra-low antenna side-lobes combined with pulse-to-pulse and burst-to-burst frequency agility provides some resistance to jamming. As in previous Giraffe radars automatic hovering helicopter detection is provided as is a rocket, artillery and mortar locating function, allowing the radar to detect incoming rounds and give 20 seconds or more of warning before impact. Giraffe AMB is the principal sensor of the Swedish RBS 23 BAMSE air defense missile system but is available for many other applications. The Giraffe AMB can be delivered with ground surveillance options fitted. A skilled crew can deploy the radar in around 10 minutes and recover it in around 6 minutes.

ARTE 740 This is a coastal defense radar based on the Giraffe 75 antenna and Giraffe AMB processing system optimized for surface and low-altitude coverage for the Swedish Amphibious Forces (formerly the Coastal Artillery). It is mounted on a MOWAG Piranha 10x10 armored vehicle. 6 systems are in service.

Sea Giraffe AMB Saab's Sea Giraffe AMB is the naval variant of their Giraffe radar with 3D AMB technology. It can detect air and surface targets from the horizon up to a height of 20,000 metres (66,000 ft) at elevations up to 70°, and can simultaneously handle multiple threats approaching from different directions and altitudes, including diving anti-ship missiles. Also, it is specialized for rapidly detecting small, fast moving targets at all altitudes and small surface targets in severe clutter. Sea Giraffe AMB is installed on the Republic of Singapore Navy's upgraded Victory-class corvette and US Navy's Independence class of Littoral Combat Ships, and has the designation AN/SPS 77 V for LCS 2 and 4, and AN/SPS 77 V for LCS 6 and higher. It has also been chosen for the Royal Canadian Navy's new Protecteur-class Joint Support Ships. The radar has an instrumented range of 180 kilometres. Its roles include: *Air surveillance and tracking *Surface surveillance and tracking *Target identification for weapon systems *High-resolution splash spotting

AESA Saab Electronic Defence Systems (EDS) in 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).

Giraffe 8A At the top end of the range is the Giraffe 8A, a long-range IEEE S-band (NATO E/F) 3D sensor that can be produced in fixed, transportable and fully mobile configurations. Intended primarily for remote operation as part of an integrated air defence network, Giraffe 8A can also be operated locally. It has an instrumented range of 470 km and an altitude capability of more than 40,000m, bringing true long-range air defence capability to the Saab radar family for the first time. Giraffe 8A produces 15 stacked beams to provide elevation coverage from ground level to more than 65°. It can operate in a continuous 360° scan mode, rotating mechanically at 24rpm, or can be steered electronically across an operator-specified sector of 40° to 100°. More than 1,000 air defence tracks can be maintained, and the system also has anti-ballistic missile capability, in which case more than 100 tracks can be followed. Saab has paid special attention to Giraffe 8A's electronic counter-countermeasures properties. The radar generates very low sidelobes and incorporates sophisticated frequency agility in pulse-to-pulse, burst-to-burst and scan-to-scan regimes. It also switches and staggers pulse repetition frequency and transmits random jitter to further confuse countermeasures. It automatically selects the least jammed frequencies and can transmit intermittently or randomly. The radar offers a passive detection and tracking capability against jammers.

Giraffe 4A While the Giraffe 8A occupies the high end of the family, Saab has introduced new radars in the medium-range category in the form of Giraffe 4A and Sea Giraffe 4A for naval use. Employing similar S-band technology to the larger radar, Giraffe 4A offers true 3D multirole capability, combining the air defence and weapon locating tasks in a single unit. Able to be airlifted in a single C-130 load, Giraffe 4A can be deployed by two people in less than 10 minutes. It can operate as a standalone.

GIRAFFE 1X To complete its new line-up, Saab has introduced two short-range radars, Giraffe 1X and Sea Giraffe 1X. Working in the IEEE X-band (NATO I-band), Giraffe 1X is intended primarily as a highly mobile radar that can work with very short-range air defence systems in the battlefield or at sea. Weighing less than 300 kg, Giraffe 1X can be mounted on a small vehicle or vessel or in fixed installations such as on a building or a mast. The radar has a sense-and-warn function and can be optionally configured for weapon location.

System

Alternative Designation Giraffe 4A Radar

Type Multi-Mission Surveillance

Manufacturer SAAB

Family Giraffe Radar

In Service INA

Crew 2

Emplacement Time 10 min

Displacement Time 5 min

Multi-Mission Capability With Giraffe 4A the commanding officer will access very high situation awareness through simultaneous air surveillance and GBAD target acquisition together with weapon locating capacity without performance degradation. If the situation dictates, the commanding officer can choose between search in the entire 360° volume or an optimised search in a sector (45°-120°).Both with coverage up to 70° of elevation.

Weapon Location Mode Giraffe 4A also offers an optimised mode for weapon locating where the radar continuously searches the horizon and immediately tracks incoming projectiles.The point of origin and point of impact are calculated and serve as input for counter-battery fire, adjustment of own fire or warning of incoming fire.

Surviability Much emphasis has been put on ECCM performance in the design of Giraffe 4A. This includes: *Ultra-low side lobes *Frequency agility; pulse to pulse, burst to burst, and scan to scan frequency agility *PRF switching and PRF stagger with random jitters *Intermittent (or random) transmission, to confuse hostile ESMs and anti-radiation missiles *Sector transmission, which can be independently defined by the operator *Automatic selection of least jammed frequency *Automatic jammer detection and tracking in both azimuth and elevation

Operated Locally or Remotely Giraffe 4A is designed to be operated locally or by remote control. Local operation is executed with a ruggedised PC in close connection to the system. The system also includes an operator module with two operator places in an NBC protected and armoured shelter.

Flexibility and Mobility Giraffe 4A can be deployed by two persons in less than 10 min and teardown takes less than 5 min. It can also be airlifted by a single C-130 using standard equipment for container handling. With larger aircraft, such as the IL-76, C-17 or A400M the system can be transported as drive-on/drive-off cargo.

Integrated Logtistics Support (ILS) ILS is an important part of the system delivery and will form the basis for future maintenance. Saab ILS experts have solid experience in tailoring ILS deliveries together with customers worldwide.

Dimensions

Length INA

Width INA

Height INA

Weight, Combat INA

Automotive

Note INA

Radar System

Name Giraffe 4A

Type Stacked beam 3D radar

Antenna Type AESA, digital beam forming

Frequency S (E/F) band

Elevation Coverage > 70 degrees

Rotation Rate 30 or 60 RPM

Search Volume 360° or in a sector

Air Surveillance 120 km

Weapon Locating 100 km

Image Sources

Notes https://www.edrmagazine.eu/saab-receives-swedish-order-for-giraffe-4a-and-arthur-radars; https://armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/army-news-2022/uae-interested-in-falcon-air-defense-system; https://www.radartutorial.eu/19.kartei/04.battle/karte021.en.html; https://safe.menlosecurity.com/doc/docview/viewer/docN7ACB9EFDC8B0300a481fcc81ffef244d913036034ca232291b8a362e0c4bf3e151488ace4daf;