The Tactical Integrated Experiment 2024 (TIE 24) gathered defence companies and NATO members to test a wide array of sensors, effectors, and C2 systems designed to counter UAV threats. The Saab Giraffe 1X radar, along with its C2 system, played a critical role in tracking and neutralising UAV targets. As part of a collaborative team featuring passive detectors, cameras, jammers, and cyber effectors from various industry partners, Saab’s team achieved the top-scoring result in the exercise.
The exercise’s primary goal was to prove the effectiveness of the “Sapient” network, which facilitates data sharing and collaborative defence strategies among NATO allies. Saab’s participation went beyond this by contributing to the sharing of counter-UAV data across multiple data-sharing protocols, further enhancing interoperability among participants. The lessons drawn from real-world conflicts added crucial insights to the exercise, underscoring the importance of adaptable and responsive systems.
The Giraffe 1X radar, a lightweight and multi-mission surveillance system, proved to be a pivotal asset during the exercise. With its 3D radar capabilities, it provides rapid air situation awareness and is particularly effective at detecting and tracking Low, Slow, and Small (LSS) targets such as UAVs. Weighing less than 150 kg, it can be easily deployed on mobile platforms, fixed structures, or even transported by helicopters, making it an ideal choice for modern, dynamic battlefield environments.
The radar is also versatile, offering ground-based air defence (GBAD) target acquisition, counter-artillery, rocket and mortar (C-RAM) warning, and drone detection capabilities within a single system. Its small footprint allows it to be integrated into a range of vehicles or infrastructures, providing forces with critical surveillance and early warning in complex operational conditions.
Saab’s Giraffe 1X also excels in its ability to distinguish between small UAVs and other objects, like birds, minimising false alarms—a key feature in high-clutter environments where quick and accurate threat identification is vital.