NATO is modernizing its Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability, selecting GlobalEye as the new platform that will gradually succeed part of the E-3 AWACS.
The announcement was made on July 7, during the Defense Industry Forum of the NATO Summit in Ankara, with 11 member states announcing their participation in the joint procurement of the system (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Sweden).
GlobalEye is one of the most advanced AEW&C platforms in the world, offering simultaneous air, land and sea surveillance from a single platform. It is based on the Global 6500 business aircraft of the Canadian company Bombardier and integrates the Erieye Extended Range (ER) radar of the Swedish company SAAB, combined with advanced sensors and a Command and Control (C2) system, providing a comprehensive picture of the field of operations in real time.
The system is designed for the early detection and tracking of a wide range of threats, such as fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drone swarms, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, etc. At the same time, it maintains high performance in particularly demanding electromagnetic environments, offering a high data refresh rate and significantly increased tactical situational awareness. Although a contract has not yet been signed, SAAB will begin negotiations with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to finalize the supply agreement for up to 10 GlobalEye.
In parallel, 8 member states have also launched a collaborative project to develop corresponding airborne early warning capabilities to meet their national requirements.
