NATO Secretary Common Mark Rutte introduced that various allies determined to acquire as much as ten Saab GlobalEye plane to interchange the growing older E-3 AWACS fleet.
After months of anticipation, NATO has formally chosen the Saab GlobalEye as its subsequent Airborne Early Warning and Management (AEW&C) platform, changing the growing older E-3 Airborne Warning and Management System (AWACS). The choice was introduced by NATO Secretary Common Mark Rutte on the summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Rutte stated that various allies have collectively determined to amass the GlobalEye and create a fleet of as much as ten plane. The brand new platform is not going to change the E-3s on a one-to-one foundation, because the fleet at the moment counts 14 plane and initially was composed by 18 plane.
NOW: NATO allies signal contracts to collectively procure as much as 10 Saab GlobalEye AEW&C plane, snubbing Boeing. pic.twitter.com/d6RALojxTS
— Conflict Report (@clashreport) July 7, 2026
French and German information shops first reported in regards to the GlobalEye chosen by Alliance in April 2026, citing sources conversant in the matter. Nonetheless, on the time this was not confirmed by NATO and Saab.
NATO says in an announcement that the Allies concerned within the determination are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, and Sweden. Moreover, eight Allies additionally launched a brand new cooperative venture to area airborne early warning capabilities to fulfill their nationwide necessities.
In a press assertion acknowledging NATO’s determination, Saab famous that it “has not signed a contract or acquired an order associated to the announcement.” Negotiations with the NATO Help and Procurement Company (NSPA) will now begin, nonetheless a timeline isn’t but accessible.
“We’re honoured and proud to assist NATO in its next-generation AEW&C functionality,” says Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab. “We’re assured that GlobalEye is the best alternative for the Alliance, delivering confirmed functionality, adaptability and long-term operational benefit. Immediately’s announcement clearly positions GlobalEye because the world-leading resolution for superior airborne early warning and management. We look ahead to the following steps within the negotiations.”
Nice information! I’m proud that NATO has chosen the Swedish platform GlobalEye because the Alliance’s new platform for airborne early warning and management.
GlobalEye will contribute vastly to core wants for our collective protection. Nice for NATO and nice day for Swedish jobs 🤝 pic.twitter.com/jU6XtQiuNn
— Ulf Kristersson (@SwedishPM) July 7, 2026
The information was additionally welcomed by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, saying that this represents “a second of nice satisfaction for Sweden and even prouder for what it entails for NATO.” He additional added that, “by 2027, we are going to see these GlobalEyes working from Swedish bases,” in keeping with Breaking Protection.
Botched Wedgetail Procurement
NATO initially determined in 2023 to interchange its present fleet of 14 E-3A AWACS (Airborne Warning And Management System) plane with six new E-7A Wedgetail plane. The choice was a part of the preliminary Alliance Future Surveillance and Management (iAFSC) functionality deal would ship an preliminary aspect to mitigate the danger of airborne surveillance and management functionality gaps with the retirement of the AWACS.
On the time, the NATO Help and Procurement Company (NSPA) stated that “the E-7A is the one identified system at the moment succesful of fulfilling the strategic instructions’ important operational necessities and key efficiency parameters and accessible for supply inside the timeframe required.” The consortium that was continuing with the procurement was composed by Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania and the US.
Among the many NATO members, Turkey already operates the Wedgetail, whereas the US and United Kingdom have chosen the E-7 as alternative for their very own AWACS plane. This system of the American and British Wedgetails has already been delayed.
In 2025, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Protection introduced, on behalf of the iAFSC Help Partnership Committee nations, that options could be sought to interchange the ageing AWACS plane by 2035. The announcement got here on the time when the U.S. Air Pressure’s plans have been shifting away from the E-7, though it’s unclear how a lot this might have influenced the choice.
Saab GlobalEye
The Saab GlobalEye is described as a multi-domain Airborne Early Warning and Management (AEW&C) plane designed to supply long-range surveillance throughout the air, maritime and land domains. The platform combines Saab’s Erieye Prolonged Vary radar with extra surveillance sensors and a multi-domain Command and Management (C2) system on a Bombardier World 6500 plane.
The long-endurance enterprise jet airframe permits to assist missions that are can final greater than 11 hours. This permits prolonged surveillance missions over massive areas whereas working at excessive altitude.
The Erieye radar is the platform’s major sensor, put in in a dorsal fairing above the fuselage. This Energetic Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which makes use of gallium nitride (GaN) know-how, is designed to detect and observe airborne targets at lengthy vary, together with low-flying plane, whereas sustaining wide-area air surveillance.
Moreover, the GlobalEye incorporates a Leonardo Seaspray 7500E maritime surveillance radar, a FLIR Methods Star SAFIRE 380HD electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, Digital Help Measures (ESM), Identification Buddy or Foe (IFF) techniques and an Automated Identification System (AIS) receiver, permitting it to detect, establish and observe air, floor and floor contacts utilizing a number of sensor varieties.
Data collected by the onboard sensors is processed via Saab’s mission system, which may fuse information from a number of sources and distribute it via current command-and-control networks to assist army operations. This permits operators to observe actions throughout a number of domains whereas sharing real-time data with air, land and maritime forces.
