The Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab delivered the fourth GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on April 18, 2024. This delivery follows three aircraft delivered to the UAE in 2020 and 2021.
“I am proud to celebrate the fourth delivery of our world-leading AEW&C solution GlobalEye to the UAE and to continue supporting its operational availability and mission success,” said Micael Johansson President and CEO of Saab. “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.”
Designed to meet the needs of the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF), the GlobalEye is based on the Canadian-made Bombardier Global Express 6000 business jet. Unlike most aircraft in its category, the GlobalEye features an Erieye active antenna synthetic aperture radar mounted atop the fuselage instead of a rotodome. It has a range of over 550 kilometers (341 miles) and is capable of early warning and control over air, sea, and land.
Saab signed an initial contract with the UAE for three GlobalEye aircraft in 2015 and received an additional order for two more in 2021. In January 2024, the UAE Ministry of Defense awarded Saab a $190 million contract to provide comprehensive support services, including maintenance, logistics, and training for the GlobalEye system.
