Saab Rolls Out Sweden’s First GlobalEye Aircraft to Watch the Baltic for NATO
Saab rolled out Sweden’s first S 106 GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, tail number 061, at its Linköping facility on October 15, 2026. The aircraft now moves into ground and flight testing before delivery to the Swedish Air Force. Defence Minister Pål Jonson, Air Force Chief Major General Jonas Wikman, and Saab CEO Micael Johansson attended the ceremony.
Order History and an Accelerated Timeline
Sweden ordered two GlobalEyes in June 2022 for SEK 7.3 billion (EUR 654.3 million) and a third in June 2024 for SEK 2.6 billion (EUR 233 million), bringing its total order to SEK 9.9 billion (EUR 887.4 million), with an option on a fourth aircraft. The original schedule called for two aircraft in 2027 and one in 2029; Sweden accelerated it in October 2024 after deciding to transfer its two older ASC 890 aircraft to Ukraine.
As of October 16, 2026, Saab holds 12 firm GlobalEye orders: five for the UAE, delivered between 2020 and 2024; three for Sweden; two for France; and two for an undisclosed Middle Eastern customer. France’s December 2025 contract is worth SEK 12.3 billion (EUR 1.103 billion), with deliveries planned for 2029–2032. The July 2026 Middle Eastern contract is worth SEK 10.1 billion (EUR 905.3 million), with delivery set for 2030. Canada is negotiating for six aircraft and the Netherlands for one; combined with NATO’s proposed order of up to ten, the total order book could reach 29 aircraft. Saab is working to raise annual GlobalEye production from two to six aircraft.
Technical Specifications
GlobalEye is built on a modified Bombardier Global 6000 business jet, reinforced at Linköping with a strengthened fuselage and wings, a dorsal radar housing, upgraded electrical and cooling systems, and changes to the vertical stabilizer and ventral strakes. Its primary sensor is the Erieye Extended Range active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with GaN transmitters and receivers, housed in a 10-meter dorsal assembly with an instrumented range of roughly 350 nautical miles (about 648–650 km). Saab claims a 70 percent range increase over earlier Erieye radars, translating to a theoretical 2.89-fold increase in surveillance area.
The radar provides 300-degree azimuth coverage, with reduced coverage directly forward and aft, while adaptive beam steering allows longer dwell times on selected contacts or sectors. Maritime and ground sensing is handled by a Seaspray 7500E X-band radar with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), inverse SAR for vessel classification, and ground moving target indication. The aircraft also carries passive ESM/ELINT, AIS, IFF, ADS-B, satellite communications, and tactical data links, fusing radar tracks and emissions data at mission workstations for sharing with fighters, naval units, and ground air defense. Endurance exceeds 11 hours per mission, compared with just over five hours for the retired S 100D Argus.
NATO and the Baltic Context
On July 7, 2026, NATO decided to acquire up to ten GlobalEyes, reversing a November 2023 plan to replace its E-3A fleet with six Boeing E-7 Wedgetails. The proposed NATO program involves 11 countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, and Sweden. The Netherlands signed a letter of intent on September 10, 2026, for one aircraft to be delivered in 2031, with Dutch crews potentially training alongside Swedish personnel starting in 2028. Combined with France and the Netherlands, European national operators would hold six aircraft, rising to 16 once NATO’s ten are added. Sweden’s aircraft will cover the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia, and northern Scandinavian approaches, and Sweden is expected to become NATO’s first national GlobalEye operator.
Caveats
Sweden’s first aircraft will initially fly in an interim configuration rather than the full five-station layout, with the third aircraft planned for the final configuration. Because configurations differ, per-aircraft contract values — roughly SEK 6.15 billion for France, SEK 5.05 billion for the Middle East, and SEK 3.3 billion for Sweden — are not directly comparable.
Sources
Army Recognition, “Saab Rolls Out Sweden’s First GlobalEye Early Warning Aircraft to Guard Baltic Sea and NATO’s Northern Flank,” October 16, 2026, armyrecognition.com — primary source for technical details, order history, and NATO context.
