NATO Plans to Buy Swedish GlobalEye Early-Warning Aircraft

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced on Tuesday that it plans to buy up to 10 GlobalEye early-warning aircraft from Sweden’s Saab in a deal worth roughly $4.5bn. The aircraft are intended to replace NATO’s aging fleet of US-made E-3 Sentry planes dating back to the Cold War.

NATO chose Saab’s AWACS system over Boeing’s rival E-7 Wedgetail. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the GlobalEye aircraft, which are based on Bombardier Global 6500 business jets, could also be used against threats such as drone swarms.

“This will ensure we keep NATO’s ... surveillance and early warning capability strong and credible for decades to come”, Rutte said during an event at the NATO summit in Ankara.

The formal announcement means NATO is now entering into negotiations with Saab. Saab CEO Micael Johansson estimated the purchase at up to $4.5bn and told reporters that deliveries could begin in 2030 if a deal is signed soon.

The final number of aircraft that NATO member states plan to buy is not yet known.

(Reuters, im)