UAE Completes Acquisition of Saab’s Final GlobalEye Early Warning Aircraft
The UAE Air Force has completed its acquisition of Saab’s GlobalEye early warning aircraft, enhancing its multi-domain situational awareness with the delivery of the fifth and final unit.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force has successfully received its fifth and final GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft from Saab, marking the conclusion of an agreement initiated in 2015.
This final delivery occurred only five months after the UAE took possession of its penultimate GlobalEye aircraft at Al Dhafra Air Base, Abu Dhabi. Saab’s head of surveillance, Carl-Johan Bergholm, emphasized that completing the deliveries within a decade highlights Saab’s status as a leading supplier of AEW&C systems.
The GlobalEye aircraft, known for its multi-domain capabilities, integrates advanced sensors to detect and identify threats across long distances in real-time. It operates in various environments, providing critical intelligence to military units on the ground, at sea, and in the air. With an endurance of up to 11 hours and a maximum operating altitude of 35,000 feet (10,668 meters), it can detect threats as low as 200 feet (61 meters).
While the UAE is the only confirmed operator of the GlobalEye, Sweden has also ordered three units, with deliveries scheduled from 2024 to 2029.