Saab GlobalEye selected by a Middle Eastern air force to strengthen AEW&C

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A Middle Eastern country’s air force has chosen Saab’s new GlobalEye to boost its airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) capability. The Swedish firm confirmed it has signed a contract to supply two aircraft worth 10.100 billion Swedish kronor (around USD 1.037 billion), with deliveries scheduled for 2030. For reasons linked to national security and the nature of the agreement, Saab did not identify the customer.

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Saab expands GlobalEye’s international footprint

Saab underlined that GlobalEye is an advanced, multi-domain airborne early warning and control solution. The platform combines active and passive sensors designed to detect and identify air, naval and land targets at long distances, while also providing real-time information to sharpen situational awareness and enable earlier threat detection during joint operations.

Contract value and delivery timeline for Saab GlobalEye

When the deal was announced, Saab President and CEO Micael Johansson said: “This order underscores our commitment to providing customers with an operationally proven, multi-domain AEW&C capability. The growing international interest in GlobalEye reflects its effectiveness and reliability in modern air defence operations”. Saab added that it will not release further details about the customer or the order configuration due to the restrictions typical of the defence sector.

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This latest sale follows Saab’s completion, in September 2024, of delivery of the fifth and final GlobalEye destined for the United Arab Emirates Air Force. That milestone concluded the planned series within the Swing Role Surveillance System (SRSS) programme, launched in 2015 and later expanded to increase the number of aircraft purchased.

An AEW&C system with rising international demand

GlobalEye is built on a Bombardier Global 6000/6500 aircraft fitted with Saab’s S-band Erieye Extended Range (Erieye Extended Range – ER) radar. In its baseline configuration, the system offers an estimated range of 650 kilometres, and this can be increased by focusing radar energy in a particular direction. It is also designed to cope with adverse weather and includes electronic-warfare measures intended to counter interference.

NATO talks to replace the Boeing E-3 Sentry fleet

The arrival of a new Middle Eastern customer also aligns with the platform’s widening international appeal. Recently, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) announced it has begun negotiations with Saab to acquire up to ten GlobalEye aircraft to replace the Boeing E-3 Sentry fleet, which the Alliance has used for nearly four decades. While no contract has yet been signed, moving into negotiations positions GlobalEye as one of the leading candidates in the global airborne early warning and control segment.

Cover image for illustrative purposes.