GlobalEye progress
All three UAE GlobalEye aircraft are
now at Linköping in di erent states
of conversion and mission system
integration, having arrived as ‘green’
airframes delivered by Bombardier.
At the roll-out ceremony, rst ight
and delivery schedule details were
handled as ‘sensitive information’. The
rst aircraft ew shortly thereafter in
nal external con guration, although
the internal mission kit is still to
be tted.
The chief of the UAEAF, Vice Marshal
Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi,
describes the GlobalEye as a ‘strong
force multiplier’ and says it will be used
as part of a multi-domain surveillance
system that will o er an anti-ballistic
missile capability. A Saab o cial
con rmed the GlobalEye’s ability to
detect ballistic missile launches, but
it’s unclear at what range this would
be possible.Meanwhile, the future of the UAE’s
existing two Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft
is unclear. It is possible that they could
be upgraded, or they may be returned
to Sweden as part-payment for the new
GlobalEyes. Saab con rmed that the
weight and power requirements of the
Erieye ER system are designed to be the
same as those for the original Erieye
radar, but uno cially it says that the
new system cannot be used as a direct
upgrade for its predecessor.
Meanwhile, the UAEAF has a further
pair of Global 6000s being con gured
for special missions under a separate
program being run by Marshall
Aerospace at Cambridge, UK. The
secretive ‘Project Dolphin’ has seen
an advanced signals intelligence
surveillance system being retro tted
to the aircraft. Wearing serial 1326
and bearing UAEAF markings, the rst
aircraft entered ight-test in its new
con guration on July 5 last year.Below: Saab is
offering a family
of systems
based on the
Global 6000.
The Swordfi sh
maritime patrol
aircraft is
awaiting a launch
customer — it
has the same
Seaspray
radar as well
as a magnetic
anomaly detector
and externally-
mounted anti-ship
missiles and
torpedoes. Saabhttp://www.combataircraft.net // May 2018 85
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