Saab and France’s defense procurement agency have signed a joint declaration of intent for the potential sale of GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to the French military.
The contract is expected to be finalized in the coming months, covering aircraft, ground systems, training, and support services.
Saab’s GlobalEye combines active and passive sensors to detect and track targets across air, sea, and land.
It is designed to deliver real-time situational awareness and early threat detection.
The acquisition “will enhance the French Armed Forces’ situational awareness and threat detection across the air, land and sea domains,” said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab.
GlobalEye AEW&C
Saab’s GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft integrates the Erieye Extended Range radar, housed in a 10-meter (33-foot) structure mounted on the fuselage.
The radar uses an Active Electronically Scanned Array system capable of detecting and tracking targets at extended ranges, including in environments with signal interference, clutter, or jamming.
Operating at 35,000 feet (10,668 meters), GlobalEye can detect low-flying targets down to 200 feet (61 meters) above ground.
The system tracks surface targets to the radar horizon for maritime surveillance, including small boats such as jet skis.
GlobalEye employs Ground Moving Target Indication on land to detect and track moving vehicles.
It incorporates the Automatic Identification System, Electro-Optical System, and Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar for object recognition and classification.
Additionally, GlobalEye can generate radar images in all weather conditions using a dedicated radar system.
The aircraft supports missions lasting over 11 hours without refueling, enabling persistent operations across broad geographic areas.
