Canada has entered into negotiations to buy Saab AB’s GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft, Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
The planes are built on Bombardier Inc.’s Global 6500 planes, which are Canadian-made with 20 per cent United States content, Carney told the CANSEC defence show in Ottawa on Wednesday.
“With a suite of advanced sensors and mission systems, Saab’s GlobalEye will be a key resource for the Canadian Armed Forces to detect and deter threats across the Arctic ,” the prime minister said in prepared remarks.
The GlobalEye can track objects and signals up to 650 kilometres away, and will relay real-time information to the Canadian military. “SAAB and Bombardier’s expertise is transforming a modern jet into a cutting-edge surveillance aircraft,” Carney said.
Canada had also been considering bids by U.S. firms for the contract, which is part of a system that aims to protect the continent’s airspace from hypersonic or cruise missiles.
The partnership will establish Canadian-based production capability including aircraft conversion, engineering collaboration, research and development, and potential participation in radar component production, according to the government. A deal with Saab positions Canada as “an integral part of the GlobalEye supply chain,” Carney said.