Saab GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft has completed maiden from Saab's Linköping facility in Swed...
Saab GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft has completed maiden from Saab's Linköping facility in Sweden.
The GlobalEye took off on its maiden flight at 12.52 local time and completed the 1 hour 46 minutes test flight collecting extensive flight-test data using the on-board instrumentation suite.
The aircraft carried out basic maneuvers to confirm the new aerodynamic configuration. The flight was preceded by a series of ground trials including high and low speed taxiing tests.
GlobalEye is an advanced, swing role airborne surveillance system based on a modified Bombardier Global 6000 business jet platform, capable of air, ground and sea surveillance.
“Today’s flight went as planned, with the performance level matching our high expectations. The aircraft’s smooth handling was just as predicted and a real pleasure for me to fly,” said Magnus Fredriksson, Saab Experimental Test Pilot.
It can detect and track airborne and surface targets at a range of up to 400 km with an endurance of 11 hours.
The main Erieye ER sensor is fitted in the ‘balance beam’ fairing above fuselage, while the Leonardo Defense Seaspray 7500E X-band maritime search radar is fitted below the fuselage near the wing root, along with a Flir Star SAFIRE electro-optical sensor turret below forward fuselage.
Wingtips are equipped with ELectronic INTelligence (ELINT) sensor for interception and analysis of radar emissions from surveillance, fire-control or missile guidance radars.
This aircraft will now undergo flight testing to confirm the aerodynamic configuration.
UAE Air Force is the launch customer for the GlobalEye, where it is known as the Swing Role Surveillance System (SRSS), with three aircraft on order worth $1.5 billion.
