Swedish aerospace and defence company Saab has received orders for the RBS 70 NG ground-based air defence system and the Giraffe 1X radar SHORAD (Short-Range Air Defence) systems from the Latvian Ministry of Defence. Deliveries will begin in 2022. The Giraffe 1X radar, combined with the RBS 70 NG, will further strengthen Latvia’s air defence capabilities by enabling improved performance. On 13-18 June 2016 the Latvian Air Force together with the Lithuanian Air Force test-fired the RBS 70 and the latest generation RBS 70 NG during the air defence exercise “Baltic Zenith 2016” held in Š??de, Latvia. The exercise was a huge success, both for the operators and for Saab with its RBS 70 together with the new RBS 70 NG.
“Our wide knowledge within ground-based air defence enables us to offer a complete solution within the area. With this order, the Latvian National Armed Forces will receive the Giraffe 1X radar with its best-in-class capabilities, as well as the world’s most capable short-range air defence system RBS 70 NG,” says Mats-Olof Rydberg, head of Marketing and Sales, Saab’s business unit Missile Systems.
RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70) is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) designed for anti-aircraft warfare in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. Originally designed and manufactured by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence (now Saab Bofors Dynamics, since 2000). In 2011, Saab announced the introduction of the new RBS 70 New Generation (RBS 70 NG). The upgraded version included an improved sighting system capable of night vision, automatic target tracker, and improved training and after-action review features. RBS 70 NG is used by a number of nations across the world, including Sweden, the Czech Republic and Brazil.
The Saab 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. Giraffe 1X is on contract for a range of customers and is a truly compact, lightweight high-performing 3D radar. Giraffe 1X can be used for tasks including ground based air defence, Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) and site protection as well as naval applications for all types of vessels.
