The issue has gained urgency as NATO prepares to retire its fleet of Boeing E-3A AWACS aircraft, long stationed in Geilenkirchen. These planes have provided the alliance with strategic airborne surveillance for decades, but their age and increasing maintenance costs have made decommissioning necessary.
Without a successor, Germany would be left without a national airborne early warning and control capability and entirely reliant on allies. Saab’s GlobalEye, based on the Bombardier Global 6000/6500 business jet and fitted with the Erieye ER radar, is being considered as a ready and proven solution.
The system delivers wide-area air surveillance, maritime patrol and ground target detection and is already in service with Sweden and the United Arab Emirates. Additional customers have also placed orders, adding to its appeal as a mature option for Germany to close the capability gap.
Source: The Defence Foundation.
