Saab Unveils New Sea Giraffe AMB D Naval Radar with AESA Technology

Defence company Saab has officially announced the launch of an upgraded, redesigned variant of its established Sea Giraffe AMB naval surveillance radar. Designated as the Sea Giraffe AMB D, this new digital system introduces a rotating active electrically scanned array (AESA) antenna alongside a modern software architecture and updated signal processing.

According to the manufacturer's announcement made on 27 October 2026, the updated radar builds upon the architecture of the ground-based Giraffe AMB D system introduced earlier in the year. The primary technological shift involves transitioning to an AESA front-end powered by Gallium Nitride transmit/receive modules.

Key Technical Enhancements Reported by Saab

• Extended Detection Range: The company states that the new system achieves an instrumented range of up to 250 km for detecting, tracking, and classifying aircraft, representing a reported 50% increase over the previous Mod C baseline.
• Surface Tracking Channel: The Sea Giraffe AMB D features a dedicated surface channel designed specifically to detect and track both manned and unmanned surface vessels out to a range of 50 km.
• Improved Accuracy and Refresh Rate: With an antenna refresh rate of 1 Hz combined with the AESA array, the manufacturer claims enhanced tracking precision against high-speed manoeuvring targets.
• Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM): Reported ECCM upgrades include very low sidelobes, fast frequency changes, sidelobe blanking and cancellation, sector transmission, and automatic selection of unjammed frequencies.

Architectural Design

The radar array face consists of six Transmit/Receive Modules. Each module contains six Transmit/Receive Elements, resulting in a total of 36 elements per array.

Practical Implications and Verification

Naval defence analysts and procurement officials typically evaluate such systems based on independent testing, interoperability with existing combat management systems, and demonstrated performance in electronic warfare environments. Because these details are based on initial manufacturer disclosures, independent verification through official defence exhibitions, technical data sheets, and maritime trials is recommended for accurate capability assessments.