11 NATO Countries Select Saab GlobalEye AWACS Over Boeing E-7 Aircraft

The Netherlands, together with 10 NATO partners, will replace the outdated Boeing E-3A AWACS radar aircraft with the Saab Globaleye.

Previously, there was talk of the partners purchasing six Boeing E-7 Wedgetails as an alternative to the Boeing E-3A. This was abandoned, among other reasons, because the United States withdrew from the replacement program. There were also concerns regarding affordability, delivery time, and product reliability.

These aircraft monitor NATO airspace from Geilenkirchen, Germany. The 11 countries are purchasing 10 Canadian Bombardier aircraft, on which the GlobalEye radar system from the Swedish company Saab will be installed. This was announced on July 7 during the NATO summit in Ankara.

In addition to the Netherlands, the countries involved are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, and Sweden. The partners currently still use the Boeing E-3A for the surveillance of European airspace. This aircraft will no longer be allowed to fly from 2035.

In particular, residents in the Dutch border region near the German airport of Geilenkirchen experience nuisance. The new aircraft produce significantly less noise. The Dutch cabinet therefore supports the choice of the much quieter machines with the Swedish GlobalEye system. The plan is for the new aircraft to be operational in 2035.