Saab CEO Micael Johansson Sees Shift in NATO Thinking on GlobalEye

Saab CEO Micael Johansson hopes that the Swedish firm’s GlobalEye will be selected as an alternative to Boeing’s E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft for NATO’s Allied Future Surveillance and Control (iAFSC) program. Johansson cited a shift in NATO’s thinking on the operational value of the GlobalEye platform, which he believes could fill a gap left by the retiring E-3 Sentry fleet. Saab is investing to deliver more aircrafts per year from the Swedish hub, and the company is also exploring potential customers in Germany and Canada. The partnership between Saab, BAE Systems, and Boeing to jointly pitch the T-7 trainer to the UK may signal a more collaborative approach to procurement. This is according to Breaking Defense, which reported on the development.