Egypt considers Saab GlobalEye early warning aircraft to replace US-made E-2C Hawkeye.

Egypt is continuing negotiations with Saab over a potential acquisition of the GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft to replace its aging E-2C Hawkeye fleet.

On January 8, 2026, Tactical Report noted that Egypt is continuing negotiations with Saab over a potential acquisition of the GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to replace its aging E-2C Hawkeye fleet, following exploratory talks that began in mid-2025. The assessment reflects broader efforts to sustain airborne early warning coverage amid aging platforms and expanding air and maritime surveillance requirements.
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The GlobalEye can fly higher, faster, longer, and farther than the E-2C Hawkeye, helping Egypt to better cover not only its airspace, but also maritime areas in the Mediterranean and Red Sea, as well as the Sinai Peninsula and southern approaches. (Picture source: Saab)

Egypt continues the negotiations with Saab regarding a possible acquisition of the GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, as part of an effort to replace the Egyptian Air Force’s aging U.S.-made E-2C Hawkeye. The talks originated during contacts at the Paris Air Show in late June 2025, where an Egyptian military delegation examined Saab’s airborne surveillance systems and subsequently pursued follow-on exchanges. These contacts evolved into a government-to-government scoping phase overseen by the Egyptian Armed Forces Armament Authority in coordination with the Egyptian Air Force command. As of early January 2026, no contract signature, aircraft quantity, delivery schedule, or finalized financial arrangement had been announced, although some regional reporting has referred to a potential interest in a limited number of aircraft.

The Egyptian Air Force currently relies on the U.S. E-2C Hawkeye as its primary airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform, and this fleet forms the benchmark against which any successor system is being evaluated. Egypt acquired its initial E-2C aircraft between 1986 and 1993, with six aircraft forming the core of the fleet, later expanded to seven or eight airframes. These aircraft are based at the Cairo West Air Base and used by the 601 Air Wing, also referred to as the 601 AEW Brigade, to support national air defense by extending radar coverage and enabling airborne battle management. In 1999, Egypt upgraded five of its Hawkeyes to the Hawkeye 2000 configuration and also obtained at least one additional aircraft already modernized to that standard, with deliveries spanning the 2003–2008 period. Egypt further requested two excess E-2C airframes from the United States in October 2007, with deliveries beginning in 2010, and Egypt is said to have used its E-Cs during operations against ISIL targets in Libya in 2015.

The Hawkeye 2000 upgrade extended the operational life of Egypt’s E-2C fleet and preserved its relevance well into the 2000s and 2010s, but it also underlined the structural limits of an aircraft that is several decades old. The Hawkeye 2000 configuration includes the APS-145 radar, newer mission computers, improved operator consoles, updated navigation systems, and better interfaces that support cooperative engagement and enhanced data exchange. This radar modernization allows the E-2C to track more than 2,000 airborne and surface targets at ranges exceeding 640 km, which remains useful for managing national airspace and coordinating fighter jets. However, the E-2C airframe design dates back to the 1960s, and Egypt’s aircraft have been flying since the late 1980s, meaning higher maintenance demands and fewer options for further upgrades. At the same time, Egypt’s surveillance needs have expanded to cover not only its airspace, but also maritime areas in the Mediterranean and Red Sea, as well as the Sinai Peninsula and southern approaches.

One of the main reasons why the Saab GlobalEye is being examined is the underlying carrier aircraft, which differs fundamentally from the E-2C. The GlobalEye is based on the Canadian Bombardier Global 6000 or 6500 long-range business jet, rather than a turboprop aircraft designed for carrier operations. This gives it a service ceiling of about 16,000 m, a top speed above 1,100 km/h, and an operational range close to 11,000 km. In simple terms, it can fly higher, faster, and farther than the E-2C, whose typical performance is limited to 10,600 m, 600 km/h, and about 2,700 km with mission endurance near 6 hours, respectively. With an endurance exceeding 11 hours, a single GlobalEye can reposition quickly, stay on station longer, and cover wider areas for extended periods, reducing the number of sorties needed to maintain continuous surveillance. For Egypt, this translates into more persistent coverage over wide areas such as the Red Sea approaches and eastern Mediterranean airspace.

Another distinction lies in how the GlobalEye collects information. While the E-2C focuses mainly on airborne target management, the Saab GlobalEye, also known as the S 106 in Sweden, is designed from the start to watch activities in the air, the sea, and on the ground at the same time. The Swedish system is centered on Saab’s Erieye Extended Range radar mounted above the fuselage, an active system with detection ranges of up to 450 km against fighter-sized targets, depending on altitude and conditions. In addition to this main AEW radar, the GlobalEye integrates a Leonardo SeaSpray 7500E maritime surveillance radar, an electro-optical and infrared sensor, and modes that allow it to track moving targets on the ground. This configuration means the aircraft can concurrently monitor air, maritime, and surface activity in a single mission. For Egypt, this broader view supports stated objectives to expand airborne surveillance beyond air defense warning toward better maritime awareness, improved monitoring of sea lanes, and earlier detection of smaller threats like UAVs and cruise missiles.

How information is shared represents another area where the GlobalEye differs from Egypt’s existing E-2C fleet. Saab's GlobalEye is designed to function as part of a wider network, incorporating multiple data links, voice communications, and satellite connectivity. It includes five onboard operator stations but can also fly missions where sensor data are sent directly to ground command centers without operators onboard. This architecture better fits with modern air defense concepts that rely on distributed command and control across air, naval, and ground forces rather than a single airborne decision point. By comparison, the E-2C has long served as Egypt’s airborne command platform, but its older architecture limits how much data it can share and how easily it can integrate with newer systems. In contrast, in the GlobalEye concept, the aircraft acts as a data node that contributes to a broader integrated air and missile defense architecture.

Despite these capability differences, the talks between Egypt and Saab remain shaped by practical constraints. Integrating a new AEW&C aircraft into Egypt’s existing defense structure is complex, because the country operates a heterogeneous mix of U.S., Russian, Chinese, and European air defense and command systems that must securely exchange data. Cost is another major factor, as a GlobalEye package including aircraft, training, support, and long-term sustainment would likely amount to several hundred million dollars, leading Egypt to consider flexible payment arrangements. Like many of its new defense procurement talks (such as the F110 frigate and the Barracuda submarine), Cairo is potentially interested in local maintenance and sustainment, which could raise questions about how much technical access and industrial involvement can be agreed under Sweden's export rules. Finally, the GlobalEye is not the only option available, with alternatives such as the E-7A Wedgetail and the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye also part of the broader comparison as Egypt weighs how best to shape its future airborne surveillance capability.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.