NATO is planning to buy GlobalEye surveillance aircraft from Sweden’s Saab to replace its 14 ageing Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, which have been in service since 1982.
The decision is expected to be announced at the Alliance’s meeting in Ankara next week, according to Reuters sources. It could prove unpopular with U.S. President Donald Trump. Although the White House has pressed NATO members to spend more on defence, Trump has consistently argued that a larger share of that spending should go towards buying American-made military equipment.
The GlobalEye surveillance aircraft first entered service in 2018. The system is built around the Global 6500 business jet manufactured by Canada’s Bombardier. Replacing the AWACS fleet could also lead to changes at its main operating base in Geilenkirchen, Germany, whose aircraft have been used in recent years to monitor Russia’s war against Ukraine.
