Saab unveils Sweden’s first GlobalEye surveillance aircraft

Saab has unveiled the first GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft designated for the Swedish Air Force. The aircraft, known as the S 106, was rolled out at Saab’s Linköping facility.

Built on a Bombardier Global 6000 business jet platform, the system features the Erieye Extended Range radar, which provides multi-domain surveillance capabilities across air, sea, and land. The radar has a detection range exceeding 550 kilometers and is designed to track various targets, including drones and missiles.

Sweden ordered a total of three GlobalEye aircraft. The first two were contracted in 2022, and a third was ordered in 2024. These new assets will replace the aging Saab 340-based ASC 890 surveillance aircraft, which Sweden has pledged to donate to Ukraine. The S 106 will now undergo testing and verification before its first flight, with deliveries to the Swedish military expected to begin in 2027.