Eleven NATO countries have agreed to jointly buy Saab GlobalEye aircraft to become the alliance’s new Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
The announcement was made during the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in Ankara on 7 July 2026, the alliance press service reported.
AWACS aircraft are used to spot and track potential threats from the air over large areas, providing early warning and surveillance.
The GlobalEye system will be used to monitor air, land and sea from a single platform.
NATO said the aircraft will improve detection and tracking of threats including drone swarms, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
The new procurement will replace part of NATO’s Boeing E-3 fleet, which NATO described as ageing.
Countries involved and parallel project
The participating countries are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Sweden, NATO said.
NATO also added the project involves transatlantic industrial co-operation, with European and Canadian industry leading and contributions from US companies.
In parallel, eight NATO members have started a separate co-operative project to develop airborne early warning capabilities to meet national requirements.
