The delivery comes just five months after the country received its penultimate GlobalEye aircraft at the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi.

According to Saab business area head for surveillance Carl-Johan Bergholm, completing the delivery in under 10 years underscores the company’s position as a “leading provider” of AEW&C platforms.

Deliveries of the GlobalEye to the UAE began in 2020 after five years of production and flight testing.

‘Multi-Domain Platform’

Saab is pitching its GlobalEye as an “advanced, multi-domain solution” capable of long-range threat detection and identification.

It features active and passive sensors that provide real-time information to units on the ground, at sea, or in the air.

The aircraft can operate for up to 11 hours at 35,000 feet (10,668 meters) while detecting threats as low as 200 feet (61 meters).

Its primary goal is to enhance the situational awareness of military units in high-threat environments.

Currently, the UAE Air Force is the only confirmed operator of the AEW&C aircraft.

Sweden has placed an order for three aircraft, with deliveries expected between 2024 and 2029.

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The deal is part of an option included in Saab’s contract with the country signed in 2022, detailing the order of two GlobalEye planes.

Production of the new aircraft is scheduled to run from 2024 to 2029.

“We are proud to contribute to Sweden’s defence with another GlobalEye aircraft, which will provide unique situational awareness of the surroundings as well the capability of early detection and warning of potential threats in the air, at sea or on land,” Saab President and CEO Micael Johansson shared.

Sweden’s first two GlobalEyes are currently being developed at Saab’s Gothenburg, Linköping, Järfälla, Arboga, and Luleå facilities.

Observing the Skies

The GlobalEye is fitted with long-range active and passive sensors, allowing it to identify objects in the air at distances exceeding 285 miles (458 kilometers).

Its Erieye extended-range radar expands its detection distance and helps it work in severe clutter and jamming conditions, while its AESA radar focuses on areas and targets of interest.

Its only current user is the UAE, which operates four of the surveillance craft. The latest was handed over by Saab in April. Canada, France, and Greece are currently in talks to integrate the GlobalEye into their forces.

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The new platform was transferred to the UAE Air Force at the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi.

The order marks the penultimate delivery in an agreement signed in 2015 for the first three GlobalEye systems, followed by an additional order for two more in 2021.

“The high delivery pace in the GlobalEye programme is testament to our unique in-house capability which means we control the entire process, from development to integration,” Saab President and CEO Micael Johansson said.

The handover date for the final unit is yet to be announced.

Supporting UAE’s AEW&C Posture

Saab has also won the three-year, $190-million service support contract for Abu Dhabi’s GlobalEye planes.

Announced in January, the contract details the Swedish company’s maintenance, logistics, and training support for the program.

Saab Surveillance business head Carl-Johan Bergholm said the deal underlines the company’s role in keeping GlobalEyes’ mission-ready status.

The UAE is currently the sole operator of the aircraft. However, Sweden, Canada, and France have shown interest in the platform.

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As part of the multimillion-dollar deal, the Swedish firm will provide maintenance and logistics support, along with training services, for a period of three years.

According to Saab official Carl-Johan Bergholm, the contract will solidify the company’s role in ensuring the GlobalEye remains mission-ready for years to come.

“We look forward to further strengthening our partnership with the UAE Air Force and Air Defence and providing long-term local support,” he said in a press release.

The UAE is the first operator of the multi-domain surveillance platform, having received its first aircraft in April 2020.

Providing Enhanced Situational Awareness

First launched in 2016, Saab’s GlobalEye is based on the Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft.

It offers long-range detection and identification of objects, thanks to an array of active and passive sensors.

The aircraft also has an advanced radar that can track aerial targets of any size, including small waterborne craft, submarine periscopes, or cruise missiles.

It boasts a maximum endurance of 11 hours, and can operate from short runways.

The latest contract with Saab is expected to bolster the capabilities of the GlobalEye, allowing it to provide enhanced situational awareness for the UAE Air Force.

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The GlobalEye incorporates advanced Saab proprietary radar and command, control, and communication systems for multi-domain airborne surveillance while maintaining the range, speed, and endurance features of Bombardier’s Global aircraft family.

According to Bombardier, the latest GlobalEye integration into the Swedish Air Force exhibits the firm’s specialty in transforming platforms to match military customers’ unique requirements.

“Our jets are internationally recognized as modern, go-to platforms by some of the world’s largest defense contractors, such as Saab,” Bombardier Defense Aircraft Sales Vice President Jean-Christopher Gallagher said.

“The Global aircraft family represents the right-sized solution for multi-mission, surveillance and VIP transport. Time and time again, it has met customers’ expectations for their most demanding mission needs.”

“The Bombardier team is proud to associate its aircraft with strong partners to create the next-generation defense solutions around the world.”

Recent Bombardier Aircraft Projects

In May, Bombardier signed a partnership with General Dynamics to deliver the next-generation anti-submarine warfare aircraft for the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft program.

The team will compete with Boeing to replace the government’s CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol systems, which will be decommissioned in 2030.

In 2022, Bombardier commenced the signals intelligence aircraft modification project over a Global 6000 that will replace German defense’s retired Breguet 1150 Atlantic reconnaissance plane.

The same year, the firm delivered the US Air Force’s first Global 6000 aircraft equipped with a special mission configuration.

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The minister said that detailed negotiations are ongoing, and a decision is expected in the near term.

Blaszczak did not disclose the number and make of the aircraft. However, citing local industry observers, Defense News identified the aircraft as Saab’s GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C).

Sweden ordered two GlobalEyes for $711 million last year, with an option to buy two more.

Poland does currently not field any AEW&C aircraft, instead relying on the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force.

Global Eye 

The Global Eye is based on Bombardier’s Global 6000/6500 family of business jets, featuring Saab’s Erieye extended range radar with an advanced sensor suite and a multi-domain command and control system. 

The Gallium nitride-based radar can detect and track aerial targets 550 kilometers (342 miles) away, a greater range than that of its peers, according to Aviation Online.

The outlet added that the radar can detect and track smaller targets than most of its peers. It can track even those targets with high resistance to electronic countermeasures.

The aircraft can also simultaneously monitor maritime and land targets after being equipped with naval surveillance, electronically scanning radar, and an electro-optical system.

The aircraft has an endurance of 11 hours, and its smaller frame compared to other AEW&C aircraft allows it to operate from smaller airports, providing operational flexibility.

Wicepremier @mblaszczak: Chciałem powiedzieć po raz pierwszy publicznie, że jesteśmy bardzo zaawansowani jeżeli chodzi o pozyskanie ze Szwecji samolotów wczesnego ostrzegania. Prowadzimy już szczegółowe negocjacje. Mam nadzieję, że w krótkim czasie zakończą się one powodzeniem. pic.twitter.com/Q7jQnSLhbE

— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej (@MON_GOV_PL) May 22, 2023

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The demonstration was held to evaluate the aircraft’s capabilities as part of a company initiative to introduce a new early warning system to the aerospace market.

“We are very satisfied with this successful first flight of another GlobalEye,” Saab Surveillance Head Carl-Johan Bergholm stated.

“This confirms that we have the infrastructure, the capabilities and the expertise necessary to support our customers with the most advanced AEW&C solution in a time frame that is unmatched in the market.”

The GlobalEye

According to Saab, the GlobalEye platform is the “most modern” AEW&C solution with advanced active and passive sensors.

The aircraft features long-range detection and identification, providing real-time intelligence about maritime, aerial, and land-based targets.

It is constructed with enhanced situational awareness that can also be leveraged for non-military missions such as natural disaster response and recovery.

The GlobalEye can be deployed on more than 11-hour endurance missions with a range of 300 nautical miles (345 miles/550 kilometers).

Bid for Future NATO AEW&C Capability

Earlier this year, Saab offered the GlobalEye as a new surveillance system for NATO.

The proposal was submitted to support the organization’s Alliance Future Surveillance and Control project to employ next-generation airborne warning and control systems to address future threats.

If selected, the GlobalEye will replace the alliance’s Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C fleet currently stationed in Germany.

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The offer was in response to the organization’s request for proposals as part of the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) project.

According to company official Carl-Johan Bergholm, its proposed aircraft was developed in compliance with NATO requirements.

“Saab is a proven and trusted part of NATO’s defense industrial base and we are present in more than two thirds of the member nations,” he said in a press release.

“I am confident that we can contribute with important capabilities that will strengthen NATO and benefit the member countries.”

If selected, the GlobalEye will replace the existing fleet of 14 E-3 AEW&C aircraft NATO currently operates from its air base in Germany.

The GlobalEye Aircraft

Saab’s GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft is reportedly capable of providing real-time information and enhanced situational awareness to the armed forces.

It is fitted with active and passive sensors for long-range detection and identification of objects in the air, on land, or at sea.

The maximum mission endurance of the aircraft is 11 hours and it can support operations from short runways.

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Valued at 7.3 billion Swedish Krona ($711 million), the agreement requires the company to deliver two GlobalEye aircraft by 2027.

According to the company, the contract also includes an option for two additional early warning aircraft for the Swedish Air Force.

Work for the contract will be performed at Saab facilities in Gothenburg, Linköping, Järfälla, Arboga, and Luleå.

‘World-Class Capability’

The GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft features a suite of modern active and passive sensors, providing long-range detection and identification of objects across multiple domains.

It is equipped with Erieye Extended Range radar, which has a maximum detection range of 550 kilometers (341.7 miles) and prevents electronic clutter and jamming by enemy forces.

The aircraft’s Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar also allows the military to focus on specific areas or targets of interest.

Additionally, GlobalEye provides real-time information to military units, increasing their situational awareness and threat detection capability.

“GlobalEye will provide Sweden with world-class airborne early warning and control capability,” Saab President Micael Johansson said. “Saab’s most important mission is to keep people and societies safe, and I am proud that GlobalEye will further strengthen the Swedish Armed Forces’ capability.”

Bolstering Defense Capabilities

Sweden has been investing millions of dollars in strengthening its defense capabilities, especially now that it seeks to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

In March, the country announced plans to boost military spending by two percent of gross domestic product due to increasing security threats amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Among Stockholm’s latest military investments is the procurement of 24 additional Archer 155-millimeter mobile howitzers from BAE Systems.

Additionally, Sweden has signified its intention to join Finland and Latvia in the research and development of 6×6 armored vehicles based on the shared requirements of participating nations.

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Saab rolled out its first Bombardier Global 6000 jet-based GlobalEye swing-role early warning aircraft featuring the new Erieye ER long-range radar on Friday, February 23.

The long-awaited airborne early warning, surveillance and control platform combines air, maritime and ground surveillance, and features a range of sophisticated sensors including the new Erieye Extended Range adaptive AESA radar, Leonardo’s Seaspray 7500E X-band maritime search radar and FLIR’s long-range Star SAFIRE electro-optical sensor turret, enabling it to undertake various missions including military operations, border surveillance and search and rescue.

The platform is based on Bombardier’s long-range Global 6000 business jet aircraft, which Saab says gives GlobalEye 11-hours endurance and the ability to utilize smaller airfields.

This first aircraft is being prepared for ground and flight trials as part of the ongoing development and production program and is destined for the United Arab Emirates under a contract signed for two systems at the Dubai Air Show in November 2015. The UAE ordered a third aircraft in 2017.

Speaking in 2016, Saab senior director Erik Winberg said GlobalEye is not just a new generation of the Erieye radar on a new platform.

“We have made substantial enhancements to the system,” Winberg said. “We can deliver longer range with increased detection and tracking performance against the most challenging targets. This includes high-speed, high altitude air vehicles and ‘low and slow’ targets like UAVs, cruise missiles, hovering helicopters and microlights. The Erieye ER is designed to detect and defeat ‘stealthy’ platforms of all kinds.”

The GlobalEye platform is designed to detect at distance low-observable air targets in heavy clutter and jamming conditions. Winberg said the new Erieye ER radar increases detection range by 70 percent against stealthy, low-observable air targets and can simultaneously track thousands of air and sea targets.

It can detect and track jet-ski-sized vessels at long distance and is able to detect objects as small as a periscope, and is designed to monitor complex threats including swarming craft.

Erieye ER gives a 300-degree field of view – 150 degrees on each side of the aircraft – and the adaptive AESA S-band radar can focus on specific targets or areas.

The aircraft’s self-protection system is based on Saab’s experience with systems for its Gripen fighter and other combat aircraft and includes a suite of sensors and countermeasures dispensers designed for automatic operation, although it can also be controlled by the pilot.

GlobalEye comes in two configurations in addition to the primary – one includes additional maritime and ground capabilities via an additional maritime surveillance radar and electro-optical sensors, and the second gives enhanced signals intelligence capability.

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