Less than a decade after it announced a surprise launch order with Saab at the 2015 Dubai air show, the United Arab Emirates has taken delivery of its fifth and final GlobalEye multi-role surveillance aircraft.
“In close partnership with the UAE air force, Saab has developed, produced and delivered a fleet of five state-of-the-art GlobalEye aircraft, all in a period of less than 10 years,” says Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of the company’s surveillance business area.
Three of the aircraft were handed over in 2020 and 2021 under the customer’s initial order, which was subsequently topped up to a five-strong acquisition.
The UAE’s most recent prior delivery of the heavily modified Bombardier Global 6000 long-range business jet was made in April 2024. First flown in modified guise in April 2023, this aircraft featured a new antenna fairing on either side of its forward fuselage, along with its distinctive Saab Erieye ER active electronically scanned array radar installation atop the aircraft’s spine.
Saab describes the GlobalEye as providing “long-range detection and identification of objects in the air, at sea and over land”, via the use of active and passive sensors.
“By providing real-time information to units in the air force, army and navy, GlobalEye enables enhanced situational awareness of the surrounding areas and early detection of threats,” the company says.
The UAE recently exhibited one of its GlobalEye airframes in the static display at the inaugural Egypt International Airshow, which took place in El Alamein from 3-5 September.
Meanwhile, Saab is currently working on the first two of three GlobalEyes on order for the Swedish air force, with modification activities being performed at its Linkoping site.
Deliveries for the domestic customer had originally been due to commence in 2027, but Stockholm is accelerating its fielding schedule after earlier this year announcing the donation of its current two Saab 340 airborne early warning and control system aircraft to Ukraine.
European Defence Editor Craig Hoyle has reported on the UK, European and international military aviation sector for almost 30 years, and has also been the Editor of Flight International since 2015. He joined FlightGlobal in 2003, and also compiles our annual World Air Forces directory.View full Profile
