Defence and security company Saab has signed a contract to supply the Australian Defence Force with Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar System.

(C-RAM) support with a contract value of approximately $AUD 26.4m (approximately SEK 168 million). The initial contract period includes the establishment period and three years of support services thereafter, with options of up to five 12-month extensions, that could take the contract period up to July 2024.

C-RAM is an essential capability to protect friendly forces from hostile fire. C-RAM sensors provide detection and warning against small, mobile and hard-to-find threats such as rocket and mortar fire. The C-RAM capability components to be supported under this contact are Giraffe Agile Multi-Beam (AMB) radar, Giraffe Training Simulator and a Lightweight-Counter Mortar Radar. The contract follows the 2010 procurement of Saab’s Giraffe AMB and Giraffe Training System Mission Systems to support Australian troops during Operation ‘Slipper’ in Afghanistan.

“The Giraffe AMB radar maintained an operational availability of 98.5 per cent in Afghanistan and was the first layer of defence against insurgent rocket attacks for the Australian led coalition base at Tarin Kot,” says Dean Rosenfield, Managing Director of Saab Australia.

“This contract is a boost to local industry with additional positions through the period of the contract to manage the Australian sub-supplier network and deep maintenance services from our headquarters in Adelaide”, says Rosenfield.

Adelaide-based, SaabAustraliawill lead an In-Service Support team which includes Saab inGothenburg,Swedenand SRCTec, LLC inSyracuse,USA.

“Saab’s global radar operations are now growing in Australia. Our Australian staff has the full backing of Saab in Sweden in our proven through-life support of the Giraffe AMB. It is a solution shared by many Giraffe AMB customers and includes global logistics and supply, comprehensive training, maintenance and engineering. This contract also proves that Saab has the competence to be able to support radar systems from other OEMs”, says Anders Linder, Head of Saab business unit Surface Radar Solutions.

SRCTec has been sub-contracted to provide through-life support to the AN/TPQ-49 Lightweight-Counter Mortar Radar. Saab Australia will manage the support program, including the establishment and delivery of support services and support to the introduction-into-service requirements, associated with the three C-RAM capability components.

The C-RAM capability is intended to be absorbed into the wider Australian Defence Force ground based air and missile defence capability.

Headquartered in Adelaide, Saab Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saab AB, providing defence, security and traffic management solutions. With over 300 experienced staff across Australia and New Zealand, and a reputation for achieving complex systems integration projects on time, Saab Australia has proven its capabilities over more than 26 years.