NATO AWACS Requirement

[Scott Kenny]

You also have to consider that Airbus France will already be fully occupied with designing the A321XLR MPA for the French Navy ... especially now that France appears to be accelerating the program with substantial funding starting in 2026.
Meanwhile, Airbus Germany has it's hand full with the infamous Eurodrone.

Maybe we could see a dorsal Eerieye option on a A321 MPA, but probably post 2035... or a belly mounted array like the AN/APS-154 on the P-8 Poseidon ?

The belly mounted array is surface search.

Dorsal arrays are for air search.

 

[EmoBirb]

Why are we talking about Airbus and NATO and GlobalEye on a thread about "US AWACS recapitalization for the 21st century"

 

[Desertfox]

The Embraer 145 is substantially bigger than the Global 6000. An Embraer 190 based version would be even bigger.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Why are we talking about Airbus and NATO and GlobalEye on a thread about "US AWACS recapitalization for the 21st century"

Competitors.

 

[fightingirish]

Hello everyone,
since the Berlin Security Conference is taking place this week, SAAB is taking the opportunity to present the GlobalEye with a poster at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
Source (X fka Twitter):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1990481425221538260

View: https://x.com/Helofresh/status/1990481425221538260?s=20

 

[NCQ]

This plus the STOL version of the MQ-9B and it's an instant AEW&C for the STOVL ships like the Wasp/America classes or Queen Elizabeth class. Significant upgrade for very little cost and no significant retrofits.

 

[Titus K]

bit late don't you think ?

Airbus Sees Opportunity In NATO E-7 Cancellation | Aviation Week Network

Airbus sees a potential opening to address a NATO need to find an alternative platform to Boeing’s E-7 airborne early warning aircraft.

aviationweek.com

 

[timmymagic]

bit late don't you think ?

Airbus Sees Opportunity In NATO E-7 Cancellation | Aviation Week Network

Airbus sees a potential opening to address a NATO need to find an alternative platform to Boeing’s E-7 airborne early warning aircraft.

aviationweek.com

Same as with the MPA market...a day late and a dollar short....

 

[Titus K]

Same as with the MPA market...a day late and a dollar short....

Sure, but at least the MPA version has a significant launch customer ...

 

[timmymagic]

Sure, but at least the MPA version has a significant launch customer ...

But then little market beyond....as near everyone with an oceanic MPA requirement has gone to P-8 in the meantime...

 

[Flyaway]

NATO’s effort to replace its ageing E-3A Sentry fleet has been upended after the United States pulled out of the alliance’s planned purchase of up to six Boeing E-7 Wedgetails, leaving the programme without a strategic or financial anchor, the UK Defence Journal understands.​

NATO scraps E-7 Wedgetail plan as allies hunt new AWACS

NATO’s effort to replace its ageing E-3A Sentry fleet has been upended after the United States pulled out of the alliance’s planned purchase of up to six Boeing E-7 Wedgetails, leaving the programme without a strategic or financial anchor.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

 

[Titus K]

NATO chooses Saab for its AWACS, a setback for Boeing

La Lettre reveals that the Atlantic Alliance has decided to select the GlobalEye from Saab and Bombardier to replace the fourteen Boeing E-3 airborne detection and command aircraft. The choice of a European manufacturer, alongside a Canadian one, is a major shift for this strategic program, which is worth billions of euros.

https://www.lalettre.fr/fr/entreprises_defense-et-aeronautique/2026/04/23/l-otan-choisit-saab-pour-ses-awacs-un-camouflet-pour-boeing,110710428-eve

 

[Ozair]

NATO chooses Saab for its AWACS, a setback for Boeing

I expect Boeing write off a NATO E-7 the minute the USAF and Administration pulled the plug so I'm not sure it can be classed as a setback.