Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab has announced it had got a new order for delivering the Sea Giraffe AMB naval radar for the U.S. Navy.

The U.S. Navy has contracted Saab to supply the Sea Giraffe AMB multi-role surveillance radar, designated AN/SPS-77, for installation on the U.S. Navy’s newest Littoral Combat Ships LCS 36 and LCS 38.

The order, placed by General Dynamics, is further testament to Saab’s continued growth in the U.S. market.

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Saab received the first order for Sea Giraffe AMB for the Littoral Combat Ships in 2005. Since that time, Saab has continuously developed the standard Giraffe AMB sensor to meet multiple missions in the U.S. sea services from open-ocean blue-water applications into the littorals.

“Saab is a world leader in radar and sensor technology. With the Sea Giraffe, we have developed a highly capable and efficient radar platform that can be easily adapted and evolved to meet the specific operational needs of the customer; now and in the future”, says Anders Carp, Senior Vice President and Head of Saab business area Surveillance.

Saab will carry out the work in Syracuse, NY in the U.S. and Gothenburg, Sweden.

In addition to the AN/SPS-77 currently being deployed on Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships, variants of Sea Giraffe are also being developed for U.S. Navy Expeditionary Sea Base ships and U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter class ships. Saab is also developing a derivative of the AN/SPS-77 known as AN/SPN-50, to meet the air traffic control needs of the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command for deployment on CVN class aircraft carriers and LHA/LHD class landing dock ships.

Saab’s Sea Giraffe radars are currently part of three separate U.S. military and homeland security programmes and on or under contract to be aboard six classes of U.S. ships. It all started in 2006 when the U.S. initially selected Sea Giraffe AMB for the first two Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships, which are now in operation.

“We delivered these first two systems for the Littoral Combat Ship on time, and have been building credibility by providing excellent service after they were commissioned”, head of Saab’s U.S. Sensor Division, Jay Abendroth explains. “Saab invests heavily in its products with in-house research and development programs to ensure that our products are current and up to date while offering shorter delivery times compared to competitors. By offering mature products at the start of programs, Saab is able to get products to the field faster with fewer changes.”

Transfer of technology forms a key part of Saab’s offer and the company is creating a number of domestic markets outside of Sweden. This is dually beneficial for Saab and the customer. In the U.S., this means the products develop in line with the end user’s requirements, support local industry and create jobs, while Saab is able to expand its market base.