NATO Selects Saab GlobalEye to Replace E-3 AWACS Fleet

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced at a summit in Ankara, Türkiye, that the alliance has selected the Saab GlobalEye as its future Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) platform. The alliance intends to procure up to 10 aircraft to replace its Cold War-era Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS fleet, which has been in service since the early 1980s. This marks the first time NATO will utilize a non-American airborne surveillance capability, following a 2023 decision to use the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail that was shelved in 2025 after the U.S. withdrew from a collective purchase.

Eleven member states, including Sweden, Germany, Canada, and Norway, will fund the program, which is valued at up to $4.5 billion. Each aircraft is estimated to cost between $400 million and $450 million. The GlobalEye system integrates Saab technology into Canadian-made Bombardier Global 6500 business jets. While smaller than the E-3, the GlobalEye operates at higher speeds and altitudes with a 50% greater operational range. It is designed to detect stealthy threats, drone swarms, and ballistic missiles across air, land, and maritime domains.

Saab CEO Micael Johansson stated that deliveries could begin as early as 2030, pending the outcome of formal negotiations with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the selection as a proud moment for the Swedish defense industry. Separately, Canada is looking to purchase six surveillance aircraft from Saab, for which the company plans to establish a Canadian production hub.