Saab’s fourth GlobalEye multirole airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft has conducted its first flight in Linköping, Sweden.
The demonstration was held to evaluate the aircraft’s capabilities as part of a company initiative to introduce a new early warning system to the aerospace market.
“We are very satisfied with this successful first flight of another GlobalEye,” Saab Surveillance Head Carl-Johan Bergholm stated.
“This confirms that we have the infrastructure, the capabilities and the expertise necessary to support our customers with the most advanced AEW&C solution in a time frame that is unmatched in the market.”
The GlobalEye
According to Saab, the GlobalEye platform is the “most modern” AEW&C solution with advanced active and passive sensors.
The aircraft features long-range detection and identification, providing real-time intelligence about maritime, aerial, and land-based targets.
It is constructed with enhanced situational awareness that can also be leveraged for non-military missions such as natural disaster response and recovery.
The GlobalEye can be deployed on more than 11-hour endurance missions with a range of 300 nautical miles (345 miles/550 kilometers).
Bid for Future NATO AEW&C Capability
Earlier this year, Saab offered the GlobalEye as a new surveillance system for NATO.
The proposal was submitted to support the organization’s Alliance Future Surveillance and Control project to employ next-generation airborne warning and control systems to address future threats.
If selected, the GlobalEye will replace the alliance’s Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C fleet currently stationed in Germany.
