6000 airframe. A $1.27-billion order for
the first two aircraft was announced at
the Dubai Airshow in 2015, with a third
announced at the International Defense
Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) early
last year.
The GlobalEye features the new Erieye
ER (extended range) active electronically
scanned array (AESA) radar in a ‘balance
beam’ fairing atop the fuselage,
which Saab says offers a 70 per centimprovement in range performance when
compared to its predecessor. The aircraft
also includes the Leonardo Seaspray
7500E X-band maritime search radar
and a FLIR Systems electro-optical turret
below the nose.
The GlobalEye boasts 11-hour-plus
endurance. Crew comfort and overall
performance mean the airframe is ‘ideally
suited for special mission specifications’,
according to Saab. The cabin has fiveGAME-CHANGING
S
AAB MADE THE maiden
flight of its new GlobalEye
airborne early warning and
control (AEW&C) ‘swing-
role surveillance’ aircraft on
March 14. It followed the
roll-out on February 23 at its Linköping
manufacturing facility in Sweden. The
United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF)
has ordered three GlobalEyes, which
are based on the Bombardier GlobalSaab has flown its all-new ‘swing-role
surveillance’ aircraft, the impressive GlobalEye,
as Combat Aircraft reports from Linköping.REPORT Jamie Hunter
COMMAND
CONTROL?
&
The first GlobalEye
was unveiled
at Linköping
on February
23 and then
flew on March
14, but with its
temporary UAE Air
Force markings
removed. Saab82 May 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
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