Saab’s subsidiary BlueBear took part in large-scale British Army exercises held in the Falkland Islands. The drills aimed to evaluate response speed and the effectiveness of command systems under challenging field conditions. Organized by the United Kingdom, the exercises – named Ex KOP SHIELD – were conducted by the 7th Air Defence Group in cooperation with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI).
Over two days, the participants carried out five training flights, during which operators from the Counter-Uncrewed Aerial System Training Team coordinated with the Sky Sabre air defence battery deployed on the islands. BlueBear’s drones were used to simulate aerial threats, enabling realistic attack scenarios.
The Sky Sabre system, which includes Saab’s Giraffe AMB radar, operated in coordination with RAF Typhoon fighter jets stationed on the islands. This joint training significantly improved the integration between ground and air forces in countering simulated attacks.
BlueBear not only supplied the equipment but also provided full technical support for the participating units. Its solution enabled the military to extend the range of target systems to over 500 km across the South Atlantic – almost double the standard distance.
“Ex KOP SHIELD was an excellent demonstration of BlueBear’s target system capabilities and the expertise of our support team,” said Andy Fraser, Managing Director of Saab UK. “Working alongside the British Army’s 7th Air Defence Group, we were able to replicate realistic scenarios to ensure accurate and effective training.”
Lieutenant Dan Anderson of the 7th Air Defence Group emphasized that the exercises “demonstrated the capabilities of the Sky Sabre system, the CTT, and the professionalism of our personnel.” He added that BlueBear’s technical support made it possible to expand the training area and gather valuable data on system performance under challenging conditions.
BlueBear’s aerial target systems have already been tested in the Arctic, Europe, the Middle East, and the South Atlantic, confirming their versatility and reliability across a range of climatic and operational environments.
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Source: ukdefencejournal
