Saab has received an order for two GlobalEye airborne surveillance aircraft from an undisclosed customer in the Middle East.
The contract is valued at SEK 10.1 billion, and deliveries are scheduled to take place during 2030. Saab did not provide additional information about the customer because of national security considerations and the sensitive nature of the defense industry.
GlobalEye is Saab’s multi-domain airborne early warning and control system. The aircraft combines several active and passive sensors to detect and identify objects across air, maritime and land environments.
Airborne early warning and control aircraft operate as elevated surveillance and command platforms. Their altitude allows sensors to observe significantly larger areas than many ground-based systems and identify potential threats at greater distances.
GlobalEye can transmit real-time information to military units operating across different domains. This can help commanders develop a more complete view of activity within a region and coordinate responses among aircraft, ships, ground forces and air-defense systems.
The system is designed to support missions such as airspace surveillance, maritime monitoring, border protection, intelligence collection and the early detection of potential threats.
The order adds to growing international demand for systems capable of monitoring several operational environments through one platform. Countries are increasingly investing in surveillance and command capabilities as drones, cruise missiles and other rapidly developing threats create more complex air-defense requirements.
Saab said GlobalEye’s combination of long-range sensing, multi-domain coverage and real-time information sharing makes the platform suitable for modern defense operations.
The customer was not identified, and Saab did not disclose the configuration of the two aircraft, their supporting systems or whether the contract includes training and maintenance services.
Saab employs approximately 28,000 people and develops systems across aeronautics, weapons, sensors, command and control, and underwater defense.
KEY QUOTE:
“The increasing international interest in GlobalEye reflects its effectiveness and reliability in modern air defence operations.”
Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab
