Canada has entered into negotiations with Saab to buy its GlobalEye airborne early warning aircraft, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday.
He revealed the plan at the opening of the annual arms trade show CANSEC in Ottawa.
“With a suite of advanced sensors and mission systems, Saab’s GlobalEye will be a key resource for the Canadian Armed Forces to detect and deter threats across the Arctic,” Carney told the audience of defence contractors and military officials.
“It builds Canadian strategic autonomy, creates Canadian jobs and reinforces Canada’s position as a global leader.”
The system is built on a Bombardier 6500 executive jet with Saab radar and sensors. The jet is manufactured at the company’s plant in Toronto.
The air force had planned to acquire up to six early warning aircraft for both domestic and overseas operations. Concern about surveillance in the Arctic has made the purchase more urgent.
The aircraft can track objects — land, sea or air — at a distance of up to 650 kilometres.
Saab had bundled its surveillance aircraft proposal in with its pitch to sell Gripen-E fighter jets to Canada and promised to transfer technology so both aircraft could be fully manufactured locally. Carney did not say anything about whether Canada will proceed with the Gripen and limit its purchase of American-made F-35 jets.
That issue has been under review for more than year.
The GlobalEye was in competition against the U.S.-manufactured Boeing E-7 Wedgetail and the L3Harris Aeris X. NATO is looking seriously at the GlobalEye as a contender to replace its aging fleet of Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne early warning aircraft.
