The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration has ordered the GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft from local aerospace firm Saab.
Valued at 7.3 billion Swedish Krona ($711 million), the agreement requires the company to deliver two GlobalEye aircraft by 2027.
According to the company, the contract also includes an option for two additional early warning aircraft for the Swedish Air Force.
Work for the contract will be performed at Saab facilities in Gothenburg, Linköping, Järfälla, Arboga, and Luleå.
‘World-Class Capability’
The GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft features a suite of modern active and passive sensors, providing long-range detection and identification of objects across multiple domains.
It is equipped with Erieye Extended Range radar, which has a maximum detection range of 550 kilometers (341.7 miles) and prevents electronic clutter and jamming by enemy forces.
The aircraft’s Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar also allows the military to focus on specific areas or targets of interest.
Additionally, GlobalEye provides real-time information to military units, increasing their situational awareness and threat detection capability.
“GlobalEye will provide Sweden with world-class airborne early warning and control capability,” Saab President Micael Johansson said. “Saab’s most important mission is to keep people and societies safe, and I am proud that GlobalEye will further strengthen the Swedish Armed Forces’ capability.”
Bolstering Defense Capabilities
Sweden has been investing millions of dollars in strengthening its defense capabilities, especially now that it seeks to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
In March, the country announced plans to boost military spending by two percent of gross domestic product due to increasing security threats amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Among Stockholm’s latest military investments is the procurement of 24 additional Archer 155-millimeter mobile howitzers from BAE Systems.
Additionally, Sweden has signified its intention to join Finland and Latvia in the research and development of 6×6 armored vehicles based on the shared requirements of participating nations.