The Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft landed at Linkoping base, where a reception ceremony was held, and will later be converted into the first of two GlobalEye AEWs for the Swedish Air Force.
The Global 6000 aircraft supplied by BOMBARDIER will now be transformed into GlobalEye AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control system) by Saab’s highly specialized team of 1,000 employees who will carry out the aircraft modification, development and systems integration to provide the Swedish Air Force with the most modern AEW&C solution available on the market.
In June 2022, FMV (Swedish Defense Materiel Administration) signed an agreement with Saab for the purchase of two airborne reconnaissance and command aircraft to replace the aging Saab 340 AEW. The aircraft, given the Swedish designation S 106, is a further development of Saab’s GlobalEye, tailored to the particular specifications of the Swedish Ministry of Defense and international cooperation within NATO.
Lena Hallgren, Head of Saab’s Airborne Early Warning Business Unit commented, “Saab is very proud of both our GlobalEye system and the contribution it will make towards greater AEW capability for the Swedish Armed Forces, protecting our country and keeping our people and society safe.”
Saab will rebuild and test the aircraft over the next three years to match the requested configuration, before handing it over to the Swedish Air Force.
“What Saab is doing is impressive. They will disassemble large parts of the aircraft, even cutting and replacing some parts. Then they will rebuild and test. The first Swedish GlobalEye aircraft will fly in about two years and then undergo the flight test program for one year,” says Nils Schroeter, project manager at FMV.
Sweden is the second customer for Saab’s GlobalEye solution. The first is the United Arab Emirates Air Force, which already has three units in operation and in early 2021 acquired two more, with deliveries to be completed by 2025.
