Sweden’s first GlobalEye aircraft will undergo testing and verification before its first flight as Saab advances Sweden’s three-plane surveillance order. Saab presented the aircraft on Oct. 15 and said it would undergo testing and verification before flying. The company did not set a date for the flight or for subsequent delivery.
Sweden’s order totals three aircraft. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), the government agency that procures equipment for the armed forces, signed a 2022 agreement for the first two, valued at about SEK 7.3 billion. FMV set the contract period at 2022 to 2027; the deal also included options to buy as many as two additional aircraft. Saab said the third aircraft was ordered in 2024.
In an October 2024 update, FMV linked the government’s decision to buy the third plane with Support Package 16 to Ukraine. The agency also described a change to the delivery plan: the initial pair would arrive earlier than first planned, but in a configuration that would require later work to reach the required capability. FMV said the third aircraft would arrive fully configured.
Saab says the aircraft uses active and passive sensors to monitor activity across air, sea and land. Information gathered across those domains can be relayed in real time to air, army and naval units, according to the company. Saab describes GlobalEye as an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system; FMV calls Sweden’s version S 106 and says it is adapted for Swedish defense missions and international cooperation.
Saab President and CEO Micael Johansson called the presentation a milestone for the company and the Swedish Armed Forces. He said GlobalEye would strengthen Sweden’s ability to conduct airborne surveillance and maintain situational awareness. The next stated stage is testing and verification before the aircraft’s maiden flight; Saab has not announced a schedule for either the flight or delivery.
