Swedish/Canadian airborne early warning and control platform, introduced in 2020, used for airborne, maritime, and ground surveillance. Key figures: top speed 1,110 km/h, range 11,000 km, service ceiling 16,000 m, max takeoff weight 45,100 kg, unit price $350M, built 5. In service with 1 air force as of 2026 — United Arab Emirates (5).
| Crew | 2 |
| Length | 30.3 m (99.4 ft) |
| Wingspan | 29 m (95.1 ft) |
| Height | 7.8 m (25.5 ft) |
| Wing area | 94.9 m² (1021.5 sqft) |
| Empty weight | 23,690 kg (52,227 lbs) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 45,100 kg (99,428 lbs) |
| Powerplant | 2 × BR700-710D5-21 6,690 kgf each |
| Maximum speed | 1110 km/h (Mach 1.11) |
| Operational range | 11,000 km (6,835 mi) |
| Endurance | 11 hours |
| Service ceiling | 16,000 m (52,493 ft) |
| Takeoff distance | 2,000 m (6,562 ft) |
1 loss recorded here in the 2026 Iran Conflict.
The Saab GlobalEye is a Swedish multi-role airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft manufactured by Saab, utilizing the Bombardier Global 6000 long-range business jet platform. The aircraft entered service with the United Arab Emirates Air Force in April 2020. It integrates Saab's Erieye ER radar and mission systems to perform simultaneous air, maritime, and ground surveillance.
Saab announced the GlobalEye programme in February 2016 in response to customer interest, building on prior Erieye installations on the Saab 340 and Embraer R-99. Airframe modification takes place under a supplemental type certificate at Saab's facility in Linköping, Sweden. Conversion of the baseline Global 6000 includes structural reinforcement of the fuselage and wings, an extended tailfin, rear ventral strakes, additional power and cooling equipment, and wingtip electronic warfare sensors. The aircraft was unveiled on 23 February 2018 and conducted its 1-hour and 46-minute first flight on 14 March 2018. A second test aircraft flew in January 2019, completing certification testing later that year.
The primary sensor is the dorsal Erieye ER active electronically scanned array radar, which uses gallium nitride transmit/receive modules and weighs approximately 1 tonne. Operating at 30,000 feet, the system provides a target detection range of up to 450 km, extending to 550 km at 35,000 feet. Secondary sensors include a Leonardo Seaspray 7500E maritime surveillance radar offering synthetic-aperture and ground moving target indication modes, alongside a forward lower-fuselage electro-optical/infrared sensor. The cabin houses a command and control suite with five operator stations, though surveillance data can also be streamed directly to ground control stations. Aircraft survivability is provided by a self-protection suite featuring laser and radar warning receivers and countermeasure dispensers, supporting mission endurance times of up to eleven hours.
The United Arab Emirates Air Force was the launch customer, ordering five aircraft under the designation Swing Role Surveillance System between 2015 and 2021, with deliveries completed between April 2020 and September 2024. Sweden signed an initial acquisition contract for two aircraft in June 2022 and exercised an option for a third unit in June 2024. Additional export contracts were finalized by an undisclosed Middle Eastern country for two aircraft in July 2026 and by France for two aircraft in December 2025. In July 2026, NATO selected the GlobalEye for its airborne early warning replacement program, opening negotiations for ten aircraft.
Eleven NATO allies announced on July 7, 2026, the joint procurement of up to 10 Saab GlobalEye aircraft to succeed the alliance's Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS fleet, months after Boeing's E-7 Wedgetail was dropped as NATO's presumptive successor.
