NATO’s GlobalEye selection reflects a move towards greater European defence autonomy
France, Sweden and the UAE have all placed orders for Saab’s GlobalEye. (Photo: Saab)
The joint acquisition of Saab’s GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft by 11 allies marks the end of NATO’s more than four-decade reliance on a US-built airborne early warning platform.
After NATO announced in November 2025 that it would no longer be procuring Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail to replace its E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft fleet, the alliance’s confirmation this week that it would look to acquire up to 10 Saab GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems was widely expected.
Formal negotiations between the alliance and the Swedish manufacturer will now begin, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey on 7 July, marking the start of a process that will see a non-Boeing platform take the helm as NATO’s
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