NATO has decided to initiate formal negotiations with Saab regarding the acquisition of up to ten GlobalEye aircraft for Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C), to replace the alliance's current E-3A AWACS aircraft. The announcement was made by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the summit in Ankara, Turkey.
The decision was presented in connection with the NATO summit in Ankara. Saab states that the announcement means GlobalEye has been selected as NATO's future AEW&C solution, although no contract has yet been signed. The current AWACS fleet has been in operational service since the early 1980s.
GlobalEye is based on the Bombardier Global 6500 business jet and is developed to detect and track targets in the air, at sea, and on the ground. The system has already been ordered internationally by the United Arab Emirates, France, and most recently Canada, as Nordic Defence Sector has previously reported.
According to Saab, the acquisition covers up to ten aircraft. Deliveries are expected to successively replace NATO's current fleet of E-3A AWACS, which is based in Geilenkirchen, Germany, and is staffed by personnel from 21 of the alliance's member states.
Since 1982, the AWACS aircraft have constituted one of NATO's few jointly owned military capabilities, and have participated in operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq, as well as surveillance missions along NATO's eastern flank following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
GlobalEye will thus become a central component of the alliance's future airborne command and surveillance capability.
Saab will now begin formal contract negotiations with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). Nordic Defence Sector reported earlier this year that Canada had selected GlobalEye as its future airborne radar surveillance system. At the time of that announcement, Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada expected further orders from allied nations, and that at least one third of a future GlobalEye fleet of around 40 aircraft would be built in Canada.
"We are honoured and proud to support NATO in developing its next-generation AEW&C capability. We are convinced that GlobalEye is the right choice for the Alliance, offering proven capability, high adaptability, and long-term operational advantages. Today's announcement clearly consolidates GlobalEye's position as the world-leading solution for advanced AEW&C. We look forward to the next steps in the negotiations," said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, in the company's press release.
GlobalEye competed with the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail for the contract. During 2025, NATO chose to abandon earlier plans to acquire the E-7, after the United States changed its own plans for the aircraft. Instead, the alliance has now selected the Swedish solution.