Delivery scheduled for 2031
The Netherlands has decided to acquire a Saab-produced GlobalEye aircraft designed for airborne surveillance, early warning and command-and-control missions. Delivery is scheduled for 2031.
The aircraft will complement the Netherlands’ participation in NATO’s joint procurement program for up to 10 GlobalEye aircraft, intended to replace the Alliance’s aging fleet of E-3 Sentry surveillance planes.
By acquiring its own aircraft, The Hague will secure the capabilities required for national operations while also benefiting from NATO’s pooled resources.
Dutch crews to begin training in 2028
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson and his Dutch counterpart, Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, have signed a letter of intent covering cooperation under the program.
“I welcome the Netherlands’ decision to acquire GlobalEye. Through this cooperation, Dutch crews will be able to begin training on Swedish systems as early as 2028,” Jonson said.
The Swedish minister said the two countries would work to establish the conditions for joint system use, integrated training and coordinated operations.
“This cooperation will provide our air forces with a clearer operational picture, greater interoperability and an enhanced ability to jointly lead and conduct air operations within NATO,” Jonson added.
Final contract has not yet been signed
The agreement represents an important step, but it does not yet constitute a firm order. Saab said it had not received a contract from the Netherlands and was awaiting the next stages of the procurement process.
The Swedish company said it was prepared to participate in the remaining procedures and deliver the aircraft according to the agreed schedule.
GlobalEye attracts new customers
Saab’s GlobalEye offering has gained significant momentum this year.
In May, Canada announced plans to acquire GlobalEye aircraft. The Canadian proposal would also include the establishment of a production line in Canada to support both domestic requirements and potential export markets.
No final contracts have yet been signed by Canada or NATO for GlobalEye, however, and negotiations remain underway.
In July, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that a group of allied countries had agreed to acquire GlobalEye aircraft to replace the E-3 Sentry platforms currently operated by the Alliance.
The decision to select a European platform came several months after plans to purchase the American Boeing E-7A Wedgetail were abandoned. The project was dropped after losing what officials described as its strategic and financial foundations.
Saab secures two-aircraft order from the Middle East
Several weeks after the NATO announcement, Saab also disclosed an order for two GlobalEye aircraft from an unidentified Middle Eastern country.
The company described the state as “a new GlobalEye customer.” The contract is valued at 10.1 billion Swedish kronor, or approximately $1 billion, with deliveries scheduled for 2030.
Potentially the Swedish defense minister’s final major acquisition announcement
The decision involving the Dutch aircraft could be one of Pål Jonson’s final major procurement announcements in his current position.
Sweden is set to hold parliamentary elections, and opinion polls show a very narrow lead for the center-left opposition over the governing right-wing bloc. The election result could influence the country’s future defense policy and its international military cooperation programs.
