The Netherlands has taken a first formal step towards acquiring Saab’s GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft, signing a Letter of Intent with Sweden for the system, according to the company.

No procurement contract has yet been signed and Saab stressed that it has not received an order from the Netherlands. The Letter of Intent instead establishes the Dutch intention to move towards acquiring the aircraft, with further procurement activity still required.

Saab said: “The Netherlands has signed a Letter of Intent with Sweden for the acquisition of a Saab GlobalEye Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft. The parties have not yet entered into a contract and Saab has not yet received an order from The Netherlands.”

The company added that it was prepared for the next stages of the procurement process.

GlobalEye is based around a business-jet airframe fitted with a suite of active and passive sensors intended to provide persistent surveillance across air, maritime and land domains.

The system is designed to detect and identify objects at long range before distributing that information to military users, allowing aircraft, ships and ground forces to build a common operational picture and respond to developing threats.

Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, said: “We welcome today’s announcement by the Netherlands of its intention to procure GlobalEye. The system will provide enhanced situational awareness and early warning capabilities across multiple domains, while also strengthening NATO’s ability to operate in an increasingly complex security environment.”

He added: “GlobalEye will enable the Netherlands to detect threats earlier, respond faster, and strengthen both national and collective defence. We stand ready to support this capability with Swedish innovation and expertise.”

The aircraft combines a number of sensors rather than operating solely as a traditional airborne radar platform. Saab describes GlobalEye as a multi-domain AEW&C system capable of observing activity in the air, at sea and over land and providing information to different elements of an armed force in real time.

The prospective Dutch acquisition would add another European customer for an airborne surveillance capability at a time when NATO members are increasing investment in early warning, command-and-control and long-range sensing.

The next stage will depend on negotiations between the Netherlands and Sweden and the subsequent procurement process before Saab can book an order and begin delivery against a formal contract.