Saab has delivered a 340 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft to Poland, National Defense Secretary of State Pawel Bedja has announced.
The order is part of a $58-million agreement in 2023 to deliver two Saab AEWs to Warsaw.
Poland’s first AEW is an overhauled aircraft that was once part of the UAE Air Force. It will undergo preparations for operational deployment by the Polish Air Force.
Saab will also provide vital ground equipment, logistics support, and service agreements covering the aircraft until 2025.
The Saab 340 AEW
First introduced in 1997, the Saab 340 AEW was designed to incorporate a radar system with much lower drag than traditional circular radar equipment.
It can fly at a maximum speed of 283 knots (524 kilometers/325 miles per hour) and track targets at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6069 meters).
The 340 AEW comes with a PS-890 Erieye Active Phased Array Antenna, giving the aircraft an operational detection range of 217 miles (350 kilometers) with 300 degrees of coverage.
The radar is resistant to radio interference and can sustain an instrument range of 280 miles (450 kilometers), detecting airborne and maritime friends or foes in hostile electronic warfare environments.