Canada has selected Saab as the preferred supplier for its future Airborne Early Warning and Control capability, marking a major step toward strengthening the Royal Canadian Air Force’s long-range surveillance, command-and-control, and multi-domain situational awareness capabilities.
The announcement was made by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at CANSEC, Canada’s largest defense and security trade show. Saab confirmed that Canada will now enter into detailed discussions and formal negotiations regarding the future AEW&C capability, which would be enabled by the company’s GlobalEye system. Saab has not yet signed a contract or received a formal order.
Saab GlobalEye Offered for Royal Canadian Air Force
Saab’s GlobalEye is based on Bombardier’s Global 6500 business jet platform and integrates the Erieye Extended Range radar with a wider suite of advanced sensors and a multi-domain Command and Control system. The aircraft is designed to monitor large areas across land, sea, and air, supporting both national defense and coalition operations.
According to Saab, GlobalEye provides long-range detection and high-update tracking of a broad range of targets, including low-observable threats, drones, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic missiles. The system is also designed to operate in complex environments affected by clutter, electronic warfare, and jamming.
Industrial Cooperation With Canada
As part of its offer, Saab has proposed building, maintaining, and upgrading Canada’s GlobalEye aircraft with a team of Canadian partners. The company said the approach is intended to transfer knowledge and technology to Canada while supporting the growth of the country’s domestic defense industry.
Saab also plans to invest in research and development activities in Canada under the future program. This industrial cooperation element is likely to be a central part of negotiations as Ottawa seeks to strengthen sovereign defense capabilities and expand domestic participation in high-value aerospace and defense programs.
“We welcome Canada’s decision to enter into discussions with Saab as the preferred supplier of the future Canadian AEW&C capability. GlobalEye offers proven capability for the Royal Canadian Air Force, sovereign ownership for Canada and comprehensive and skilled work for Canadian industry,” said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab.
Why AEW&C Matters for Canada
For Canada, a modern AEW&C platform would provide a significant improvement in airspace surveillance, early warning, maritime monitoring, and command-and-control coverage across vast national and regional operating areas. The capability is especially relevant given Canada’s geographic scale, Arctic security requirements, and commitments to North American and allied defense.
AEW&C aircraft act as airborne command centers, enabling forces to detect threats at long range, coordinate air operations, and improve response times against aircraft, missiles, drones, and other emerging aerial threats. In modern warfare, such platforms are increasingly important for integrated air and missile defense, multi-domain operations, and joint force coordination.
The selection of Saab as preferred supplier does not yet represent a final procurement decision. Saab said it will now continue the next steps in the process with Canadian authorities as formal negotiations move forward.