Page 25 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2023 Online Magazine

 INTERVIEW
INDISPENSABLE

PARTNER  Henrik Lönn,

President, Saab

Saab has an expansive footprint in the Asia Pacific Warfare (EW) sensor network that provides a
region, one built on partnerships that involve true force-multiplier by enhancing situational
awareness through silent detection, classifi-
technology transfer cation and prioritisation of radar and datalink
emissions.
By ARUN SIVASANKARAN
Please elaborate on the market demand in
Saab is striving to establish a global and multi- domestic base, the Asia Pacific region for the company’s radar
making the company a natural part of many Asian countries’ family?
national defence eco-system, says Henrik Lönn, President, Saab
International Technology Korea. Saab is a world leader in surface-based radar
systems including air, surface and coastal sur-
In an interview, Lönn speaks about Saab’s presence in the APAC veillance, air defence, weapon location and
region, the market potential of its GlobalEye AEW aircraft, and the sense and warn. Our radar solutions have been
company’s transfer of advanced military technologies. used operationally in Asia for many years.

How important is region Asia Pacific for Saab? Is the company cur- Saab’s success with our surface radar portfolio
rently in discussions with potential customers in the region? is based on several factors including the opera-
tional performance of the systems, the high level
Asia Pacific has been a key market region for Saab with our product of availability in demanding environments and
in service with regional users since the 1990’s. These initial product the access to responsive in-service support from
sales have grown into a broad installed base that includes most of Saab and our local partners in the region. Based
Saab’s product portfolio. Our systems are in use in many countries, on these and, Saab has developed a reputation
and we now have regional HQ in Singapore and have established for delivering capability to an expanding cus-
offices in India, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea tomer base. While Saab continues to support
and Japan. Our business continues to grow. and upgrade existing products, the significant
investment Saab makes in new radar solutions
We are proud that Saab is now considered part of the domestic and facilities in Asia, means we are well posi-
defence capability of several nations. One example in Asia Pacific tioned to deliver class leading radar capabilities
is Australia where Saab established development and production to regional customers well into the future.
35 years ago and where we now have more than 800 employees.
Another example is India where our presence is increasing, and we Earlier this year, Saab Unveiled a GlobalEye
will invest further to establish a manufacturing facility for the Carl- AEW Variant for the Republic of Korea Air Force’s
Gustaf shoulder launched weapon system.
(ROKAF) E-X Phase 2 programme. Tell us more.
Electronic warfare capabilities are now an essential part of military GlobalEye is the most modern and advanced
arsenal. What does Saab have to offer in this field that is different system of its kind on the market and the only
from the rest?
solution capable of early detection of threats
Saab’s electronic warfare offer includes self-protection systems in the air, sea and land domains from a single
protecting aircraft, helicopters, land vehicles, naval vessels and platform. By seamlessly integrating simultane-
submarines. We also provide signals intelligence systems for pas- ous multi-domain surveillance and facilitating
sive interception and analysis of radar and communication signals, seamless information exchange and connec-
giving improved situational awareness from airborne, land based tivity, GlobalEye elevates data into a powerful
and naval platforms. and indispensable asset.

One of the company’s EW products is Countermeasures Dispenser GlobalEye empowers Air Forces to confront
System BOL, an electromechanical dispenser that offers an intel- and combat next generation threats with its
ligent system solution to counter RF and IR threats that can be long- range, low-signature detection capa-
installed into missile launchers, conformal housings, pylons, fuselage bilities, complemented by frequent high-level
or external pods. Another is IDAS, an Integrated Defence Aids Suite updates. With complete interoperability seam-
that is a proven self-protection suite for airborne platforms. lessly woven into its design, GlobalEye emerges
as a tailor-made solution ideally suited to meet
Sirius compact is a modular and scalable passive Electronic the specific needs of the Korean Air Force..
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2023 | 25