The Dutch Ministry of Defence will acquire one Saab GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft for national use, giving the Netherlands its first sovereign AEW&C capability. The deal was set out in a letter of intent signed with Sweden on 10 September, with the aircraft due for delivery in 2031 and Dutch crews expected to begin using Swedish GlobalEyes from 2028 for training and operations.
The Dutch aircraft will join a joint pool with three Swedish GlobalEye aircraft, reflecting a model that combines national independence in deployment with continued cooperation with Sweden. The Netherlands currently depends on NATO AWACS capability and allied support for airborne surveillance and command coverage.
GlobalEye provides long-range surveillance across air, sea and land domains, supporting both national defence and NATO interoperability. Saab is ready to support the procurement process, although no final contract has been signed and no order has yet been placed. The Netherlands is also among nine NATO allies working to replace the alliance’s ageing AWACS fleet with GlobalEye, widening the programme’s relevance beyond The Hague and Stockholm.