France signs for GlobalEye as AWACS replacement
The French Air and Space Force is to initially replace its four E-3F AWACS aircraft with two GlobalEyes (pictured), with a further two to potentially follow. (Saab)
France has signed for the Saab GlobalEye to replace its ageing Boeing E-3F Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, the Swedish manufacturer announced on 30 December.
The French defence procurement agency (Direction Générale de l'Armement: DGA) signed the contract for two aircraft plus options for two more for approximately SEK12.3 billion (USD1.34 billion), cementing a deal selection that was announced at the Paris Air Show in June. Included in the deal is ground equipment, training, and support, with deliveries taking place from 2029 to 2032.
The contract clears the path for the French Air and Space Force to replace the four E-3Fs it received in 1991.
The GlobalEye is built around the Saab Erieye Extended Range (ER) radar that is housed in the same external dorsal ‘plank' as the company's original Erieye system. Equipped with gallium nitride and other technologies, the Erieye ER is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) system that doubles the radar's power efficiency compared with previous Erieye iterations. It has a range in excess of 650 km, which can be extended by focusing the radar's energy. Performance figures disclosed by Saab give the GlobalEye an endurance of more than 13 hours and a top speed of 450 kt.
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