NATO faces risk of missing out on Saab reconnaissance planes

Swedish defence company Saab’s CEO, Michael Johansson announced that NATO must decide on purchasing reconnaissance aircraft within the next year, or the alliance risks not receiving them by 2031.

In an interview with Euractiv, he noted that other buyers are also interested in the GlobalEye aircraft, which NATO plans to acquire, Caliber.Az reports.

Johansson stressed that NATO needs to start procurement within a year to receive the planes by 2030 or 2031.

France, in particular, is among potential buyers. The CEO warned that each new order will extend delivery times for the alliance and that NATO will receive no preferential treatment; however, the alliance could obtain GlobalEye faster by negotiating with earlier buyers to take their place in the queue.

According to the outlet, NATO had planned to acquire Boeing E-7 aircraft to replace the ageing E-3 model. However, following the US, the alliance abandoned these plans in November due to high production costs and concerns over the E-7’s survivability. NATO then turned to European aircraft, but no purchases have been made so far.

By summer 2025, seven NATO countries were reportedly interested in the Swedish planes, though that number later declined. It remains unclear whether the remaining countries will opt for Saab aircraft instead of Boeing’s E-7.

The GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) plane can identify air, ground, and maritime targets of all sizes, including small vessels, submarine periscopes, and cruise missiles. Its radar range exceeds 650 km.

The Swedish system also features maritime search radar, an electro-optical tracking module, electronic warfare and suppression systems, and an IFF (“friend-or-foe”) system.

Maximum flight endurance exceeds 11 hours, with the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously and switch between them.

By Jeyhun Aghazada