Germany is moving closer to a decision on how to fill the looming airborne early warning gap, with Saab’s GlobalEye surveillance aircraft now seen as the frontrunner. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said this week that while no final choice has been made, the Swedish-built platform is “in pole position.”
The debate comes as NATO prepares to retire its fleet of Boeing E-3A AWACS aircraft, long based in Geilenkirchen. These planes have provided the alliance with strategic airborne surveillance for decades, but their age and rising maintenance costs have forced NATO to plan for decommissioning. Without a replacement, Germany would lack a national airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) capability and be entirely dependent on allies.
Saab’s GlobalEye, based on the Bombardier Global 6000/6500 business jet and equipped with the advanced Erieye ER radar, offers wide-area air surveillance, maritime patrol, and ground target detection. The system is already in service with Sweden and the United Arab Emirates, and has been ordered by additional customers. For Germany, it is attractive as a mature, readily available solution to close the capability gap.
“Yes, that is also an option for Germany,” Pistorius said in Berlin today. “We are working on it. We haven’t made a decision yet, but I would say it is in pole position, to put it cautiously.”
The discussion coincided with a meeting of the defense ministers in which Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson emphasized the need for solidarity and practical measures to strengthen the alliance’s eastern flank. For Berlin, fielding its own AEW&C platform would not only contribute to NATO readiness but also signal a stronger national commitment to collective defense.
Whether Germany ultimately opts for the GlobalEye will depend on budgetary priorities and potential coordination with Swedish partners. Still, the public acknowledgment by Pistorius marks the clearest indication yet that Saab’s bid has the upper hand.