Saab has been awarded a roughly SKr2.6 billion ($245 million) contract to provide a third GlobalEye surveillance aircraft for use by the Swedish air force from later this decade.
Signed with Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) on 27 June, the deal covers production and other activities running until 2029.
“The order is based on an option included in Saab’s contract with FMV from June 2022 which included two GlobalEye, as well as options to procure two additional aircraft,” the company says.
Saab chief executive Micael Johansson says the heavily adapted Bombardier Global 6000 “will provide unique situational awareness of the surroundings as well the capability of early detection and warning of potential threats in the air, at sea or on land”.
The Swedish air force had been planning to introduce its locally-designated S 106 assets operationally from 2027, but this schedule is to be accelerated following a decision by Stockholm to donate its current two Erieye radar-equipped Saab 340 airborne early warning and control aircraft to Ukraine.
Announced in late May, the pending transfer “will provide Ukraine with a completely new capability against both airborne and maritime targets”, according to the Swedish defence ministry, which also expects the capability to support future operations with gifted Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.
Sweden is the second customer for the GlobalEye system, with the multi-domain surveillance type already in operational service with the United Arab Emirates, which has taken to date four of its five on-order examples.
Saab’s next potential order for the type could come from South Korea, which should reach a decision later this year or in early 2025 via a competition also involving Boeing’s 737NG-based E-7A. Seoul aims to acquire four new aircraft to supplement its in-service fleet of four E-7As.
