What opportunities remain for European airborne early warning requirements?
Saab’s GlobalEye AEW&C platform is a contender for NATO’s AWACS replacement. (Photo: Saab)
With a pending NATO AWACS replacement on the horizon, the demand and market opportunities for airborne early warning aircraft remain strong as countries look to bolster their capabilities, with industry eyeing gaps in the market.
In light of reports, and refutation from Saab, that the GlobalEye could be the replacement for NATO’s Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) requirement after it shelved plans to procure six E-7 Wedgetail aircraft in November, opportunities for AWACS replacements for European armed forces more widely remain.
Since the announced procurement withdrawal last year, European firms have expressed interest in filling NATO’s AWACS platform gap. Both Airbus and Saab told Shephard that their companies were interested in answering NATO’s search for alternative E-3A Sentry fleet replacement options with their C295 and GlobalEye platforms, respectively.
Saab CEO Micael Johansson previously noted during the
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