NATO's AWACS Fleet in Germany to Abandon American Aircraft
According to a report by Reference News on April 26, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported on April 23 that NATO plans to modernize its fleet of AWACS stationed in Germany, but will no longer use American-made aircraft.
According to information from NATO insiders, the future aircraft will be produced by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier and equipped with the "Global Eye" early warning and reconnaissance system manufactured by Swedish Saab Group. The order plan includes up to 12 Global 6000 or Global 6500 aircraft, with a total value of several billion euros.
A NATO spokesperson was initially unwilling to confirm or deny the news. Previous reports indicated that a final decision would be made before the NATO summit in Ankara in July. This multi-billion euro project is managed by NATO's Support and Procurement Agency.
NATO originally planned to order the American Boeing E-7 "Wedgetail" AWACS. However, this plan was abandoned after the U.S. government announced its withdrawal from the project last summer.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated as early as last September that Germany could also consider adopting the Saab Group's "Global Eye" system after phasing out the current AWACS as planned. Following the U.S. withdrawal, Germany is expected to bear most of the project's costs.
The AWACS, which have been in service for about 40 years, are based on the Boeing 707 platform and are still performing airborne radar warning missions. Currently, these aircraft are mainly used to monitor airspace in Eastern Europe.
The main base for this fleet is the NATO Geilenkirchen Air Base located near Aachen. (Translated by Jiao Yu)
NATO plans to modernize its AWACS fleet stationed in Germany, opting for Bombardier-made aircraft equipped with Saab's GlobalEye system instead of American-made options. This decision follows the U.S. withdrawal from the project, with Germany expected to cover most costs. The final decision is anticipated before the NATO summit in Ankara in July.
- NATO will modernize its AWACS fleet in Germany.
- The new aircraft will be made by Bombardier and equipped with Saab's GlobalEye system.
- The project is expected to cost billions of euros.
- Germany is likely to bear most of the costs after the U.S. withdrawal from the project.
- The decision is anticipated before the July NATO summit in Ankara.