Saab Giraffe Radar Family: AMB, 1X and 4A Explained

The Giraffe radar family is Saab’s modular 3D AESA radar range, covering short-range air defence cuing (Giraffe AMB), weapon-locating and counter-drone (Giraffe 1X), medium-range air defence (Giraffe 4A) and naval surface/air surveillance (Sea Giraffe). With users in more than 30 countries, it is one of the most widely deployed tactical radar families in the world.

Giraffe AMB

Giraffe AMB (Agile Multi-Beam) is a rapidly-deployable vehicle-mounted 3D AESA radar for air and surface surveillance, primarily acting as the fire-control radar for short-range air defence systems such as RBS 70, IRIS-T SL and Patriot. Its AESA architecture provides electronic beam-steering across 360 degrees of azimuth, enabling simultaneous tracking of dozens of targets at update rates impossible to achieve with rotating-antenna systems. Users include Sweden, the UK, Australia, Norway, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Denmark.

Giraffe 1X

Giraffe 1X is a compact 3D AESA system designed for weapon-locating (artillery, mortars, rockets) and counter-UAS missions. Its small footprint enables rapid emplacement and displacement — critical for counter-battery survivability — and its target resolution is fine enough to track small commercially available drones alongside conventional artillery rounds in the same airspace.

Giraffe 4A

Giraffe 4A is the long-range 3D AESA member of the family, optimised for medium-range air defence systems. It is integrated with Sweden’s Patriot battery, providing the long-range surveillance and cuing that short-range organic radars cannot achieve. Its waveform agility and ECCM capabilities are designed to operate in contested electromagnetic environments.

Sea Giraffe

Sea Giraffe AMB and Sea Giraffe 1X are the naval derivatives, providing air and surface threat surveillance for surface combatants. They are installed on Sweden’s Visby-class corvettes and vessels of several other navies including the Netherlands and Norway.