Saab Counter-UAV Radar Gets New Capabilities

Saab Counter-UAV Radar Gets New Capabilities

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Saab has announced that it has made upgrades to the ability of its Giraffe surface radars to detect both UAVs and stealth-cloaked aircraft.

When a conventional military aircraft enters the range of most radar systems, the speed at which it is travelling, its altitude, and its size all make it readily identifiable.

But when an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) does the same, the situation is less clear-cut. Because UAVs are typically small in size and fly at low altitude and at low speeds, most radar systems struggle to distinguish them from birds, presenting a real threat to troops and other assets in the vicinity.

Saab says that this threat prompted the development of Saab’s Enhanced Low, Slow and Small (ELSS) system, a capability that enables the company’s Giraffe range of air surveillance and air defence systems to distinguish between UAVs and birds with remarkable accuracy.

The company said that with the enormous growth in UAV-use in combat situations – both for surveillance and delivering weapon payloads – Saab’s ELSS technology brings significant benefits to armed forces who possess it.

Many companies are redeveloping sensors that can detect UAV’s and in some cases rendering useless.