Saab delivered its first GlobalEye to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in April 2020.1 The GlobalEye is the Swedish vendor’s airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. Since then, Saab has worked through a growing list of new and prospective customers.
Sweden, the domestic user, has ordered three S106 GlobalEye aircraft under its 2025–2030 defence resolution.2 That order builds on an earlier pair already placed on contract. France followed with a December 2025 agreement for two aircraft, plus two options.3 The new French fleet will replace its ageing Boeing E-3F Sentry aircraft.
Canada has since entered formal negotiations for six systems of its own.4 Germany, Denmark, and Finland are each weighing the platform as well. Saab is also pitching the GlobalEye to its wider Erieye customer base. Should most of those operators convert, it will become the generation’s most widely deployed AEW&C system.
In an earlier analysis, Quwa discussed how Saab emerged as a leading defence integrator. Such an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) blends indigenous and foreign commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) inputs into finished systems. Those inputs let Saab build cost-effective yet high-capability solutions at a competitive price. This piece examines how the GlobalEye became a preferred AEW&C choice across both markets.
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