Sweden and Saab signed a US$708 million deal for two GlobalEye surveillance aircraft on June 30, 2022, the day after the country received an official invitation to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 

The contract also includes options for two additional Saab surveillance aircraft. 

Deliveries are expected to start in 2027. 

“GlobalEye will provide Sweden with world-class airborne early warning and control capability. 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,” said Saab’s President and CEO Micael Johansson. 

The GlobalEye was launched in 2016 and was specifically designed for the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF). 

While manufactured by Saab, the GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft is actually based on the Canadian-made Bombardier Global Express 6000 business jet. The aircraft features the Erieye Extended Range radar, which has a range of more than 550 kilometers and is capable of early warning and control over air, sea and land.