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Giraffe 1X and RBS 70.
SINGAPORE—The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has selected the Saab Giraffe 1X radar to replace its Portable Search and Target Acquisition Radar (PSTAR) for low-level air defense missions.
“The Giraffe 1X will enhance our ability to detect a wider range of aerial threats, including small drones, and will provide vital short-range surveillance to support the army’s operations,” RSAF chief Maj. Gen. Kelvin Fan says in a written interview with reporters.
Saab says the Giraffe 1X weighs no more than 150 kg (331 lb.) and operates in the X band, with a detection range of about 75 km (47 mi.). The company claims the radar can detect a drone the size of a milk carton at a range of up to 4 km.
By comparison, the PSTAR operates in the L band and has a detection range of about 20 km.
Fan adds that the Giraffe 1X, together with the Saab RBS 70 NG short-range air defense missile system, will be mounted on Spanish-built Uro Vamtac 4 X 4 vehicles. The move marks the return of a fully motorized air defense capability to the Singapore Armed Forces, following the retirement of the RBS-70-equipped V-200 and the mechanized Igla system mounted on M113 armored vehicles.
Both systems are primarily operated by the Divisional Air Defense Group (DAG), which provides the Singapore Army with low-level and point air defense coverage.
“The Giraffe 1X's compact design and high mobility make it flexible to deploy both on and off road and in urban and non-urban settings to enhance air surveillance and provide short-range air defense capability for the Singapore Armed Forces,” Chun-Chau Chew, Saab's Singapore country manager, tells Aviation Week separately.
“We believe the Giraffe 1X radar system and the RBS 70 missile system, which the RSAF already operates, complement each other to form mobile and highly responsive short-range air defense solutions to detect and handle modern and complex aerial threats decisively,” he adds.
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