Romania, other NATO states to replace AWACS radar aircraft with Swedish-made Saab GlobalEye
A group of 11 member states, including Romania, will purchase the Swedish-made Saab GlobalEye surveillance and control aircraft, which will replace Europe’s aging fleet of AWACS radar aircraft, according to an agreement reached at the NATO Summit currently taking place in Ankara.
The joint acquisition was announced during the Defense Industry Forum within the summit. The decision marks a significant step in modernizing NATO’s airborne surveillance and early warning capabilities by replacing part of the Alliance’s aging Boeing E-3 fleet, according to a NATO press release.
“The aircraft will strengthen NATO’s situational awareness and support operations,” the same source added.
The new GlobalEye platform will provide the Alliance with multi-domain surveillance (air, land, and maritime) and will improve the detection of complex modern threats, such as drone swarms, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.
The aircraft is much smaller than Boeing’s E-3 Sentry AWACS, but GlobalEye flies much higher, at a greater speed, and its operational range is approximately 50% better. The average price of the Swedish aircraft is also 30% higher.
The 11 states participating in this joint program are: Romania, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
According to the NATO statement, the project is an example of transatlantic cooperation, as industries from Europe and Canada play the leading role within it, but with major contributions from companies in the United States.
In addition to this joint acquisition, eight allied states have launched a separate cooperation project to develop national early warning capabilities.
The announcement in Ankara is part of a broader package of industrial and military commitments undertaken at the summit, aimed at strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense capabilities on the Eastern Flank and beyond.
(Photo source: nato.int)
