Saab, the Swedish aerospace and defense company, received an order from Poland’s Ministry of National Defence for two Saab 340 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft.
The contract is valued at SEK 600 million (€52 million) with a 2023-2025 contract period. It includes ground equipment, in-country logistics, and support services.
“Saab has had a strong relationship with the Polish Ministry of National Defence for many years,” says Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s business area Surveillance. “We are proud to further strengthen Poland’s Armed Forces with our airborne early warning and network-based solutions.”
The Saab 340 AEW (Airborne Early Warning) is a specialized aircraft developed to provide crucial surveillance and command capabilities for military and homeland defense operations. The aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional turboprop airliner.
The airframe is fitted with the Erieye AEW/AEW&C system. The Erieye radar, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, is mounted in a distinctive radome on the top of an aircraft. It has a range of over 550 kilometers (342 miles) and is capable of tracking both airborne and naval targets, according to the manufacturer.
Due to the rapid nature of the procurement, the two aircraft were acquired second-hand. In May 2023, when the urgent operational requirement was first reported, a spokesperson for the Polish Armament Agency told Polish defense portal Defence24 that Poland was considering existing aircraft.
The Swedish Air Force, which operates two Saab 340 AEW aircraft, announced in June 2022 that it would replace them with two Global 6000 GlobalEye aircraft. Saab received the first of two Bombardier Global 6000 jets to be fitted with its Airborne Early Warning and Control solution for Sweden on July 19, 2023.
