Swedish corporation Saab has signed a contract with the Royal Canadian Navy to upgrade its Halifax-class frigates with multi-role Sea Giraffe AMB naval radars antenna kits.
The contract, worth 300 million Swedish kronor ($32.8 million), will be in place till 2026.
The project is aimed at sustaining the service life and enhancing the performance of Canada’s 12 Halifax-class multi-role patrol frigates and is set to be carried out in Halifax, Canada, and Gothenburg, Sweden.
“This order has further strengthened our Sea Giraffe radar market position and continues the excellent partnership that Saab enjoys with the Royal Canadian Navy,” Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of the company’s Business Area Surveillance said in a statement.
Canada’s frigates monitor the seas, conduct large-scale search and rescue missions, and provide emergency assistance when needed. They are considered the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy.
The warships, introduced in the 1990s, have recently been equipped with elements of the 9LV combat system with additional sensors and weapons.
Saab’s Sea Giraffe Radar System
The Sea Giraffe AMB is a three-dimensional radar system, capable of providing medium-range surveillance.
The system can detect targets both in the air and on the surface up to a height of 20,000 meters (66,000 feet) and at an elevation of up to 70 degrees in the air.
The radar can detect and track helicopters, small drones, jammers, ballistic targets, and anti-ship missiles. It can simultaneously handle multiple threats, approaching from different directions and altitudes.
Saab has supplied radar systems to over 30 countries across the world. It has also installed the radar system on Singapore’s Victory-class corvette and US’ Independence-class littoral combat ships.
