Saab has delivered another GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking the delivery of the fourth advanced AEW&C aircraft to the UAE in just four years. In 2015, the UAE signed a $1.27bn contract with Saab for the sale of GlobalEye. The UAE Government unveiled plans to deploy the systems as the swing-role surveillance system (SRSS).The delivery took place on 18 April 2024 and follows Saab’s previous deliveries of three GlobalEye to the UAE in 2020 and 2021. The UAE has ordered a total of five GlobalEye aircraft from Saab, with the initial contract signed in 2015 and an order for two additional aircraft received in 2021.
“I am proud to celebrate the fourth delivery of our world-leading AEW&C solution GlobalEye to the UAE and to continue supporting its operational availability and mission success. The high delivery pace in the GlobalEye programme is testament to our unique in-house capability which means we control the entire process, from development to integration,” says Micael Johansson President and CEO of Saab.
GlobalEye consists of a suite of sensors using Saab’s Erieye ER (Extended Range) radar and mission system, installed in the Bombardier Global 6000/6500 long-range business jet. Erieye ER (Extended Range) is an advanced multi-domain AEW&C solution with an array of active and passive sensors that provide long-range detection and identification of objects in the air, at sea and over land. GlobalEye enables enhanced situational awareness of the surrounding areas and early detection of threats. Saab has cited up to 450 km (216 nm) range for the AEW radar system when flown at an operating altitude of 30,000 ft; and 550 km at 35,000 ft, while mission times of up to eleven hours in duration are possible
In addition to the AEW radar, the GlobalEye is equipped with various additional sensors. These include the Seaspray 7500E maritime surveillance radar, provided by Italian defence conglomerate Leonardo; the Seaspray radar features synthetic-aperture radar and ground-oriented moving target indication modes. The GlobalEye also has an electro-optical/infrared sensor, which is situated underneath the forward fuselage.It has been offered with three layers of capability: the baseline AESA and C2 system for air, land and sea surveillance, along with some electronic intelligence functions; a version with additional infrared and sea-search functionality; and one with a dedicated signals intelligence (SIGINT) system.
