U.S. Navy orders additional Saab Sea Giraffe radar units

June 12 (UPI) -- Swedish auto and aerospace company Saab announced an order from the U.S. Navy for additional Sea Giraffe multi-mode radar units.

The units, for use on a range of military vessels, will be deployed on the U.S. Coast Guard's Heritage class of offshore patrol cutters. Up to 25 of the ships are planned for construction. A unit also will be fitted on the Hershel Wilson Expeditionary Sea Base class ship, operated by the U.S. Military Sealift Command.

This additional order, announced Tuesday, involves an option on a 2017 Navy contract and includes multiple line-item options for additional Sea Giraffe MMR systems. The contract covers manufacturing, inspection, testing and delivery of the radar units.

The Saab system is a family of land and naval two- or three-dimensional electronically scanned radar. It gets its name from its distinctive folding mast. The first systems were produced in 1977 and have been upgraded since.

The system has been in use by U.S. military forces since 2006.

"The key to our success in the U.S. is the combination of our efficient and flexible Sea Giraffe radar, coupled with our technical expertise and understanding of the U.S. customer's needs and expectations", said Anders Carp, Saab senior vice president.

Deliveries will take place in 2020 and 2021, with work done at Saab facilities in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Syracuse, N.Y.