{"id":17156,"date":"2019-05-24T11:10:04","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T11:10:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/24\/saab-first-globaleye-plane-for-uae-will-be-ready-next-spring\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:36:10","slug":"saab-first-globaleye-plane-for-uae-will-be-ready-next-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2019\/05\/24\/saab-first-globaleye-plane-for-uae-will-be-ready-next-spring\/","title":{"rendered":"Saab: First GlobalEye plane for UAE will be ready next spring"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LINK\u00d6PING, Sweden \u2014 The first of three GlobalEye surveillance aircraft developed for the United Arab Emirates by Swedish defense group Saab is on schedule to be delivered in April 2020, says H\u00e5kan Buskhe, Saab\u2019s CEO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the second of the aircraft undertook its first flight last January so the test program is on schedule, Lars Tossman, head of radar solutions for Saab, confirmed at a media event here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first aircraft is currently being tested in Granada, Spain, where weather conditions more closely resemble those of the client than in Sweden. The third aircraft is under production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The $1.27bn launch contract for this airborne surveillance program was signed in November 2015, and 28 months later GlobalEye undertook its maiden flight. Based on a Bombardier Global 6000\/6500 ultra long-range aircraft, modified by Saab to be able to carry the tonne-weight of the new Erieye ER (extended range) radar on its back, GlobalEye also carries a maritime surveillance radar which can detect targets as small as a jet-ski. Tossman explained that the maritime radar, when used in combination with Erieye ER, would enable a periscope to be detected. The aircraft also carries a long-range, wide-area, ground-moving target indicator.<\/p>\n\n\n\t