Aircraft
Netherlands Opts for Its Inaugural AEW&C Aircraft
Bilateral capability with Sweden marks nation’s first AEW&C acquisition
GlobalEye
The Netherlands is to acquire its inaugural sovereign Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability with a single Saab GlobalEye aircraft.

The Netherlands plans to acquire its inaugural sovereign Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, complementing participation in the renewal of NATO’s fleet capability. The single Bombardier Global 6500-based Saab GlobalEye will be delivered to the Netherlands in 2031 and, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, “added to a joint pool” with Sweden’s three examples.

Announcing the move on September 10, the Dutch government acknowledged it is reliant on, “among other things, the outdated NATO [Boeing E-3A Sentry] AWACS aircraft” for surveillance and command capabilities. However, it said, acquiring its own aircraft will “enable it to determine more independently where and when the aircraft is deployed.”

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