Saab UK Limited
British Arm of Swedish defence group Saab; builds Giraffe 1X radars at Fareham.
Saab UK Limited's Giraffe 1X radar went to SEA on an 8.4m uncrewed boat on 5 and 6 October 2026, when Kraken Technology Group trialled it as an unarmed picket against aircraft and drones.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
A Saab radar on a Kraken drone boat: is uncrewed early warning ready?
Timeline for Saab UK Limited
Supplied the Giraffe 1X radar
Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea: Kraken trials a Saab radar picket boatDenmark splits one ship, two subsea deals
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaBackground
Saab UK Limited is the British company of the Swedish defence group Saab. Its campus at Fareham, Hampshire, is Saab's UK centre for radar engineering, and builds the Giraffe 1X, Giraffe AMB and TAIPAN radars. The site supports about 400 roles across radar and underwater robotics.
The Giraffe 1X is a compact air-surveillance radar made in both Sweden and the UK, and Saab UK marked its 100th in 2026. The radar is now reaching uncrewed platforms: on 5 and 6 October 2026 Kraken Technology Group SEA-trialled an 8.4m robot boat carrying one as an offshore early-warning picket. Kraken ran the programme; Saab UK supplied the sensor.
Saab UK also sells underwater vehicles to navies. In August 2026 Denmark recorded a direct-contract decision for a Saab UK remotely operated system for the vessel Norwind Helm, alongside a separate Kongsberg autonomous vehicle; the notices gave no value or delivery date.
