LONDON, — Saab UK has delivered its Giraffe 1X radar systems to the Royal Air Force (RAF), providing additional capability for detecting and tracking uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) as part of the UK’s wider counter-drone architecture.
Saab confirmed the delivery on September 2, saying the procurement was driven by an operational requirement and followed several years of cooperation between the RAF and Saab. The relationship includes earlier capability development and operational experience with the radar system.
The newly delivered radars will support the RAF’s broader counter-UAS activities, including the RAF Regiment’s role in protecting British and coalition personnel and facilities. Saab said this work includes deployed operations in the Middle East, where specialist teams provide protection against drone threats.
Rapid delivery for an urgent requirement
The latest delivery was completed after Saab mobilised its global production network while also using its manufacturing and support capabilities in the UK.
A Royal Air Force spokesperson said the service was impressed by Saab’s ability to rapidly meet the Giraffe 1X requirement for counter-drone operations. The RAF said the equipment is considered important for reducing the risk to personnel from drone threats.
Andy Fraser, Group Managing Director at Saab UK, said the delivery demonstrated cooperation between Saab’s UK manufacturing teams and colleagues across the wider company. He also highlighted the company’s UK industrial capability and its role in supplying equipment to British and coalition forces.
Giraffe 1X radar capabilities
The Giraffe 1X is a compact, lightweight 3D multi-mission radar designed for air surveillance and ground-based air defence applications. Saab states that the complete system weighs less than 150 kilograms.
The radar can detect and track small aerial targets, including drones, and is designed to provide continuous air surveillance. It can also provide counter-rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) sense-and-warn capability.
Giraffe 1X can be deployed in fixed, mobile or deployable configurations and can be integrated onto different platforms. Saab describes it as a multi-mission system that can support force protection, weapon locating, ground-based air defence and counter-UAS operations.
The radar is also designed to provide target information for wider air-defence systems rather than operating only as an isolated sensor. Its capabilities include detection and tracking of small and slow aerial targets, which are among the challenges addressed by modern counter-drone systems.
UK production and earlier orders
The latest delivery builds on the UK's existing Giraffe 1X programme. Saab has a Centre of Radar Excellence at Fareham in Hampshire, where the company manufactures the radar. In May 2026, Saab announced that its UK operation had completed production of its 100th Giraffe 1X system.
In April 2026, Saab announced an order from the UK Ministry of Defence for Giraffe 1X systems worth approximately £24 million. Those systems were being produced at the Fareham facility, with the order funded through the UK-administered NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine Trust Fund.
The UK had also previously ordered Giraffe 1X radars from Saab. In 2023, Saab announced contracts for 11 Giraffe 1X radars, with a total order value of approximately SEK 264 million.
A separate £1.8 million logistics-support contract was awarded to Saab UK in August 2026, according to reporting on the UK procurement. The contract covers logistics support for the Giraffe 1X fleet, including equipment, training and spares.
Neither Saab's September delivery announcement nor the RAF statement specifies the number of Giraffe 1X systems delivered in the latest delivery. The value of the latest radar delivery has also not been disclosed.
The delivery adds another element to the UK's counter-drone and force-protection capability, while Saab's existing production and support infrastructure in the UK provides the basis for supplying and sustaining the radar systems.
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