France announces intention to procure GlobalEye from Saab

Authors Benoit Denet & Martin Gillet

Saab and the French defence procurement agency, Direction générale de l’armement (DGA), have signed today a joint declaration of intent for the potential acquisition of Saab’s GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft by France. The agreement includes associated ground systems, training, and support services.

The joint declaration of intent, which was signed today at the Paris Air Show, includes DGA’s intention to procure two GlobalEye aircraft from Saab. The joint declaration of intent also includes an option for DGA to purchase two additional aircraft.

A final notification process to complete the procurement will now follow. The DGA has stated that a contract is expected to be finalised in the coming months. The parties have not yet entered into a contract and Saab has not yet received an order for GlobalEye from France. 

“We welcome today’s announcement by France about the intention to procure GlobalEye, which will enhance the French Armed Forces’ situational awareness and threat detection across the air, land and sea domains. Our solution will enable France to maintain full sovereign control of its airborne early warning and control capability,” says Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab.

GlobalEye is an advanced multi-domain AEW&C solution with an array of active and passive sensors that provide long-range detection and identification of objects in the air, at sea and over land. By providing real-time information to air forces, armies and navies, GlobalEye enables enhanced situational awareness of the surrounding areas and early detection of threats. 

Air Surveillance
The powerful new Erieye ER (Extended Range) radar extends detection capabilities, especially for small or next-generation targets.
It offers a significantly increased detection and tracking range.
Engineered to perform reliably in environments with heavy clutter and electronic jamming.
Its adaptive Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology focuses energy precisely on areas or targets of interest.

Maritime Surveillance
Capable of detecting sea targets all the way to the elevated horizon.
Effectively identifies small vessels, such as jet-skis, at extended ranges.
The unique integration of Erieye ER with maritime surveillance radar enables detection of objects as small as a periscope.
Equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS), Electro-Optical System (EOS), and Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) for precise object identification.

Ground Surveillance
Long-range, wide-area Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI) enables detection of moving objects on the ground.
Delivers high-resolution radar imagery, independent of weather conditions, using a dedicated ground surveillance radar.

A national asset for safety and security                                                              Ensuring national and international territorial integrity and security in today’s complex and shifting threat environments has become more and more challenging. Based on the Global 6000/6500 aircraft family from Bombardier, GlobalEye combines Saab’s Erieye Extended Range radar with an advanced suit of sensors and a multi-domain Command and Control (C2) system.

Peace, Crisis or War
In today’s world — and looking ahead — national and global security challenges demand timely, accurate information to enable informed decisions and maintain peace and stability.
GlobalEye is the only AEW&C solution currently available that delivers real-time, long-range surveillance of air, sea, and land domains — all from a single, integrated platform.
This airborne system provides governments and armed forces with continuous, real-time situational awareness, whether in times of peace, during crises, or in the face of conflict.

Multi-domain sensors and C2

GlobalEye combines our expertise in complex systems integration, radar, command, control and communication systems into one powerful solution, and it is an example of what can be achieved when world-leading systems integration meets world-leading systems.

It is worth noting that two copies of the GlobalEye’s predecessor, the Saab 340 AEW&C, were donated to Ukraine and are a capability that has become essential for Ukraine. This is particularly the case for intercepting Russian drones and combat aircraft.

Saab and Sabena technics sign agreement relating to GlobalEye

Paris Le Bourget June 18, 2025,Saab has signed a framework agreement with the French aircraft maintenance and modification provider Sabena technics relating to aircraft modification work for Saab’s GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft.

The long-term agreement is intended to form the basis for future business between the companies, covering complex aircraft modification and associated services for GlobalEye.

“This reinforces Saab’s commitment to collaborate with French industry while supporting the expansion of our modification capacity to meet the increasing demand for GlobalEye. Sabena technics has the expertise and experience to provide this support,” says Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s business area Aeronautics