The 2020s: a decade of UAV spending growth
Total annual drone spending has increased nearly sixfold since the start of the decade, from $2.9 billion in 2020 to $16.3 billion in 2028, with Europe leading the rise.
Saab delivers fifth and final GlobalEye to UAE
The UAE’s fourth GlobalEye (pictured) was delivered in April. (Photo: Saab)
Saab delivered the fourth GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the UAE earlier this year with the fifth aircraft concluding the order.
Saab announced on 17 September that it had delivered the fifth and final GlobalEye to the UAE completing a contract for the delivery of five aircraft within 10 years of the order being signed. The first aircraft was only delivered five years ago.
In 2015, Abu Dhabi became the launch export customer of the GlobalEye when it signed a US$1.3 billion development and production contract for two aircraft. This was followed by a $238 million agreement for the third system in 2017, with a $1 billion follow-on deal for two more aircraft in 2021.
In January this year, the Swedish defence firm signed an additional $190 million three-year contract with the UAE to provide in-service support for the Gulf nation’s GlobalEyes.
GlobalEye is a multi-domain AEW&C 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 and provides real-time information to defence force units.
Sweden is the only other contracted country and it is expecting deliveries of three aircraft to begin in 2027. Reports emerged in May 2023 that the Poland was considering the purchase of an unspecified number of GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft to reduce Polish dependence on the NATO early warning force based in Geilenkirchen.
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