NATO selects Swedish Saab GlobalEye to replace 14 E-3 AWACS planes in historic shift from the U.S..

NATO has selected the Saab GlobalEye to replace its aging fleet of Boeing E-3 Sentry, marking a strategic shift away from decades of reliance on U.S.-built airborne early warning systems. The decision strengthens resilience and cost efficiency while reshaping alliance-level command and surveillance capabilities for contested, multi-domain operations.

The Saab GlobalEye combines AESA radar, multi-domain sensing, and long-endurance business jet performance to deliver wider coverage, faster tracking, and lower operating costs than legacy platforms or the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail. Its network-centric design supports distributed ISR and reduces crew and infrastructure demands, aligning NATO with a more flexible and survivable model for future air and missile defense environments.

Related topic: Saab and Cohere launch AI upgrade for GlobalEye early warning aircraft for faster threat detection

The GlobalEye’s advantage over both the Boeing E-3 Sentry and the E-7 Wedgetail is simple: it combines multi-domain sensing (air, sea, ground), higher-altitude coverage, and lower operating cost in a smaller, more flexible aircraft, while still using modern AESA radar.  (Picture source: AI-generated image based on Saab visual)

On April 23, 2026, both La Lettre and German Press Agency (dpa) revealed that the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) chose the Swedish Saab GlobalEye to replace its fleet of fourteen U.S. Boeing E-3 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, closing a procurement cycle that had initially favored the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail in the first replacement of the alliance’s AWACS fleet since its introduction in the 1980s. The revised decision follows the relaunch of a competitive process in early 2026 after the U.S. withdrew from the E-7 program in June 2025, cancelling its own procurement and shifting toward a combination of satellite-based surveillance under the Golden Dome concept and the continued use of E-2 Hawkeye.

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency, which is overseeing the acquisition within the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control program, plans an order of between 10 and 12 GlobalEye aircraft at a unit cost of about €550 million. The total acquisition value would therefore exceed €5 billion without including training, infrastructure, or long-term sustainment. If officially confirmed, this decision ends Boeing’s position as the exclusive supplier of NATO AWACS aircraft since 1988 and introduces a European and Canadian industrial combination into a core alliance capability.

The current NATO AWACS fleet consists of fourteen E-3 Sentry early warning aircraft based on the Boeing 707, with deliveries completed between the early 1980s and early 1990s, resulting in a present average airframe age of nearly 40 years. These American aircraft are equipped with a mechanically rotating radar dome mounted above the fuselage, providing 360-degree coverage and detection ranges exceeding 400 km for airborne targets, depending on altitude. Their operational roles include airspace surveillance, identification of hostile aircraft, coordination of intercept missions, and acting as airborne command posts through real-time data links with ground, naval, and air units.

The fleet is based at Geilenkirchen in Germany and has participated in operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and counterterrorism missions in Europe and the Middle East. Each aircraft typically operates with a mission crew of 13 to 19 personnel in addition to the flight crew, but maintenance requirements have increased due to aging avionics, airframe fatigue, and supply chain constraints for legacy components. Therefore, like in the U.S. Air Force, the E-3's availability rates have been affected by longer maintenance cycles and higher sustainment costs. The Swedish GlobalEye aircraft combines Saab’s Erieye ER radar with Canadian Bombardier Global 6000 or 6500 business jet airframes, introducing a more modern architecture than the E-3.

The Erieye ER radar, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) system mounted dorsally, uses electronic beam steering to scan large volumes of airspace without mechanical rotation, enabling faster revisit rates and improved target tracking continuity. The aircraft is also equipped with additional sensors, including maritime surveillance radar such as Seaspray, allowing simultaneous detection of surface vessels and low-altitude targets. The GlobalEye supports multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance across air, maritime, and ground environments, including ground moving target indication. Endurance is in the 11 to 13 hour class, depending on mission profile, with a range in the 11,000 km category and higher operating altitude than legacy systems, increasing radar horizon.

Crew requirements are reduced compared to the E-3 due to automation and reliance on data links for off-board processing. The aircraft is also designed to integrate into distributed command networks rather than acting as a standalone command center. The capability gap between GlobalEye and the E-3 is mainly driven by differences in radar generation, platform efficiency, and mission concept. The AESA radar provides higher resolution tracking, improved detection of low radar cross-section targets, and better performance in environments affected by ground or sea clutter. The E-3’s rotating radar operates with a fixed scan rate limited by mechanical rotation, reducing responsiveness to rapidly changing target environments.

The GlobalEye can maintain persistent sector coverage while simultaneously tracking multiple targets across domains. Airframe differences also affect operational reach, with the GlobalEye operating at a higher altitude and longer range, extending coverage area per sortie compared to the E-3’s range of about 7,400 km and endurance of 8 to 11 hours. The E-3 also requires larger onboard crews and more extensive support infrastructure, while the GlobalEye reduces personnel requirements and operating costs. These factors translate into lower cost per mission hour and increased sortie generation potential, and the smaller airframe also reduces the AWACS's radar cross-section and detectability in contested theaters. 

The NATO AWACS fleet replacement process could be summarized in a small number of key decisions between 2023 and 2026. First, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency initially awarded the replacement contract to Boeing for the E-7 Wedgetail in 2023, without a competitive tender due to Boeing’s position as the exclusive supplier of NATO AWACS aircraft since 1988. The E-7, based on the Boeing 737 airframe, was intended to provide a modern replacement for the E-3 with improved radar and mission systems. However, in June 2025, the United States announced it would not proceed with its own E-7 acquisition, instead prioritizing satellite-based surveillance and existing airborne assets.

This decision reduced expected production volume and raised concerns about long-term support and cost distribution within NATO. By late 2025, uncertainty within the program led to increased pressure to reopen the competition. In early 2026, the procurement process was relaunched, allowing alternative solutions to be evaluated. By April 2026, the GlobalEye was selected, reflecting a reassessment of cost, operational requirements, and program risk, demonstrating the dependency of multinational programs on U.S procurement decisions. In comparison with the Boeing E-7, the GlobalEye offers a lower acquisition cost and a different operational model, with a unit price of about €550 million compared to higher estimates for the E-7.

The E-7 uses a top-mounted radar with rotational coverage, while the GlobalEye employs a fixed AESA radar with electronic scanning, enabling continuous coverage of selected sectors without mechanical constraints. The GlobalEye is configured for multi-domain surveillance, including maritime and ground targets, while the E-7 remains primarily focused on airborne early warning and control. The smaller size of the GlobalEye reduces fuel consumption and maintenance requirements compared to the larger Boeing 737-based aircraft. The industrial structure involves Saab and Bombardier, distributing production across Sweden and Canada, while the E-7 relies on a single U.S prime contractor.

The GlobalEye also benefits from existing export customers, supporting production continuity, while the E-7 program has faced uncertainty after the U.S withdrawal. These factors must have significantly influenced cost, risk, and operational considerations in the new selection process. The financial structure of the NATO AWACS program reflects both cost considerations and multinational participation, with a total acquisition value estimated between €5 billion and €6 billion for 10 to 12 aircraft, excluding long-term support and training. The GlobalEye’s unit cost is said to be close to half that of the competing American alternative, making cost a decisive factor in the final decision.

The NATO AWACS program includes at least nine participating countries: Germany, Sweden, Romania, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, with Latvia expected to join, forming a pooled capability under NATO. Following the withdrawal of the United States, Germany is expected to assume roughly one-third of the total program cost, reflecting its economic weight within the alliance. The pooled model allows shared access to assets while distributing financial burden among participants, meaning that the use of a business jet platform reduces lifecycle costs compared to larger aircraft. Additional participants may join in later phases, increasing scale and cost sharing to ensure the long-term sustainability of the NATO AWACS capability.

The selection is also influenced by broader political and strategic factors, including efforts by European states to reduce reliance on U.S defense systems and strengthen regional industrial capabilities, with France supporting the Saab option within this context. U.S policy decisions, including the tariff threats, the potential abandonment of NATO, the cancellation of the E-7 program, and the shift toward satellite-based surveillance, reduced the confidence in the American E-7 option. Further highlighting the risks associated with dependency on external procurement decisions, U.S. political tensions involving Greenland and Canada have also influenced alignment choices, with Canada increasing cooperation with Nordic countries, therefore reconsidering procurement options linked to Saab.

This includes the potential acquisitions of GlobalEye aircraft and other Saab products, such as the Gripen, reflecting a shift in procurement strategy. The alignment between European and Canadian defense policies indicates a convergence of strategic priorities, and this trend may affect future capability programs. It also reflects a potential redistribution of industrial influence within the alliance. The adoption of GlobalEye is expected to affect interoperability within NATO by introducing a non-U.S system as a shared operational standard, supported by parallel national acquisitions that reinforce commonality.

France has initiated the acquisition of two GlobalEye aircraft, and Germany has expressed interest in the system. Canada and Egypt are also evaluating similar capabilities, creating the basis for a shared operational ecosystem. Historically, NATO interoperability has been aligned with U.S systems, but the current case demonstrates the application of interoperability principles to a European-led solution. The GlobalEye’s network architecture supports data sharing across air, land, and maritime forces, enabling integration with existing NATO command structures. This approach reflects a transition from centralized airborne command platforms to distributed ISR networks. The resulting structure enables flexible deployment and scalability across operational scenarios. It also redefines how common capabilities are developed and maintained within the alliance.

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.