Saab Bags $1 Billion GlobalEye AEW&C Order from Middle East Customer

Swedish defence and aerospace manufacturer Saab said it has received an order to deliver two GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft to an undisclosed customer based in the Middle East.

The order, valued at a little over $1 billion, demonstrates another major win for the Swedish manufacturer over global aerospace rivals such as Boeing Aerospace, IAI Elta of Israel, Brazil’s Embraer and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation.

The order follows a similar order placed by France in December for two GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft along with ground equipment, training, spares and support infrastructure. Valued at SEK 12.3 billion, or $1.27 billion, the contract includes an option for the French direction générale de l'Armement to purchase two additional aircraft in the future.

Earlier in July, NATO also announced its intent to order up to ten GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft from Saab to replace its vintage Boeing E-3A fleet current deployed in Germany. The fleet of 14 E-3A aircraft stationed at NATO air base Geilenkirchen was inducted in 1982 and recently underwent a $1 billion Life Extension Programme to continue flying till 2035.

In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates is the sole customer of Saab’s GlobalEye aircraft. It ordered five aircraft in 2015 with deliveries and induction taking place between 2020 and 2024. The country has not placed a follow-on order, so the Middle East customer announced by Saab could be another country in the region. Saab refused to name the customer to honour national security interests and the nature of the industry.

“This order underscores our commitment to providing customers with mission-proven, multi-domain AEW&C capability,” said Saab president and CEO Micael Johansson. “The increasing international interest in GlobalEye reflects its effectiveness and reliability in modern air defence operations.”

Saab is on the cusp of winning another major international order for the GlobalEye in due course. In May, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the country has chosen the GlobalEye as its future AEW&C aircraft and will soon enter into discussions with Saab to finalise the acquisition.

Based on Bombardier’s long-range Global 6500 jet aircraft, Saab GlobalEye is a complete airborne early warning and control system which features the Erieye extended range radar as its primary surveillance sensor. Erieye ER utilises modern Gallium Nitride modules which extend its detection range to more than 650 kilometres.

GlobalEye also features an under-fuselage Seaspray 7500E maritime surveillance radar along with advanced optical and electronic sensors and a signals intelligence suite, making it an ideal platform to conduct long-range surveillance over both land and sea. The Bombardier Global 6500 jet also boasts a maximum range of over 11,000 kilometres and can remain airborne for up to 13 hours, enabling operators to conduct round-the-clock aerial surveillance and operations.