The UAE Air Force and Air Defence (UAE AF & AD) signed a USD1.27 billion contract for the procurement of two new Saab surveillance aircraft and the upgrade of two others, the company said on 9 November.
The contract, which was announced at the Dubai Airshow 2015, will see the UAE receive two of the latest versions of Saab’s Erieye airborne surveillance systems fitted aboard Bombardier Global 6000 business jet host aircraft, as well as the upgrade of the country’s two existing Erieye systems that are fitted to Saab 340 turboprops.
As noted by Saab, the new Swing Role Surveillance System (SRSS) being procured by the UAE is the most advanced version of the Erieye system to date, in that it will provide surveillance capabilities over air, land, and sea. “This is a significant step forward in capability, in that it is effectively a combined AWACS [Airborne Warning And Control System], JSTARS [Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System], and MPA [maritime patrol aircraft] in one,” a company representative told IHS Jane’s .
Although not confirmed by either Saab or the UAE, it is understood that the two Erieye systems that have been in service since 2010 will be upgraded to this same standard.
Saab did not reveal delivery timelines for the new contract, citing a request for confidentiality from the customer, not did it provide details of the SRSS system beyond an aircraft model that showed it to be based on the same dorsal ‘plank’ antenna configuration as the baseline Erieye. This baseline Erieye features an electronic-warfare suite that includes electronic support, threat-warning and countermeasures dispensing subsystems, an identification friend or foe (IFF) subsystem, command-and-control (C2) capabilities, and a ground-based mission trainer.
Seems like this is a quite huge upgrade of the old Erieye. Somewhat surprising that Saab won this in competition with the Americans:
The Canadian airframer’s model was selected following “a huge evaluation of different platforms”, according to Al-Hasheim, who says it was the best choice in meeting the UAE’s operational requirements. Other types which had been promoted for potential use by the customer included a Boeing 737-based system and Northrop Grumman’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/dubai-uae-signs-12bn-surveillance-deal-with-saab-418843/
I was wondering if tiny Saab would manage to keep up with the competition in this field; however the UAE contract means that they got the customer they needed to develop this system further.
By: black shaheen - 24th June 2018 at 07:59
^^^
Loke
39 million USD for additional functionality is a decent amount. Recently I read an article in which Saab revealed a new solution that will allow fusion of satellite data with other products, including the GlobalEye. During the rollout ceremony back in 23rd of February, the UAEAF’s chief said that the GlobalEye will be used as part of a multi-domain surveillance system that will offer an anti-ballistic missile capability. Hmmmm
By: Loke - 19th June 2018 at 20:20
Saab has received an order from the United Arab Emirates for additional functionality for the advanced airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) solution GlobalEye. The order value is approximately SEK 345 million.
The UAE placed its first order for GlobalEye in November 2015. GlobalEye combines air, maritime and ground surveillance in one swing-role solution. It features a full suite of sophisticated sensors including the powerful new extended range radar (Erieye ER).
I wonder what the additions are? 345 million SEK is approx. 39 million USD.
By: Loke - 3rd May 2017 at 08:23
Apart from all that, the only one thing sure about Erieye for me is that it can’t look 360. That’s why it got dropped out so early in the Korean E-X. The RoC clearly stated a 360 detection and Erieye was not able to do that. I’ve also saw several arguments about whether Erieye is able to detect 360 or not, including the one here in keypublishing, 2006. SAAB stated a 360 detection and so did the other sources like flight, etc. claiming compensated 360 detection with optimal performance for 150 degrees each side… guess that was a vine from SAAB.
AFAIK the Erieye has a secondary AESA radar integrated with the primary. Detection is 360 degrees but I believe tracking is limited outside of the 300 degrees covered by the primary radar.
Saab has sold Erieye/Globaleye to 8 countries, so it seems some air forces are happy with it.
By: Maro.Kyo - 29th April 2017 at 00:13
These are the SAAB claims from 2013:
Sea coverage is only limited by the horizon,
which is around 190 NM. Within this area, everything
from fighter aircraft, hovering helicopters, cruise
missiles or sea targets down to a Jet Ski can be
detected and tracked.
GaN surely is a game changer I guess…. According to this brochure here [http://saab.com/globalassets/publications-pdfs/eds/radar/airborne/erieye_en_2013.pdf] about the older Erieye, also from Tu22m, it states the detection range of a cruise missile on a low altitude detected from 30,000 ft above sea level as 100 nm or roughly 190 km.
That can also be translated as “100 nm (Erieye – GaAs)/ 190 nm (Erieye ER – GaN) look-down detection range for an airborne target, flying on a low altitude with RCS of roughly 0.5 sqm”, as long as that infographic in the brochure is made accordingly to the actual data.
ALAIK, Erieye ER has same physical dimensions in comparison to its predecessor, and that is roughly 8 sqm per antenna arrays on one side.
On the other hand, the MESA of E-737 has around 13 sqm sized antenna arrays on each sides and a bit smaller end-fire arrays on the top. IIRC it uses GaAs T/RMs, and from what I remember from Korean E-X program, it can detect “figter sized targets” (targets with 5 sqm RCS) in distance of 370+ km when uniform coverage (360 degrees threat sectors, including both look-down and look-up, in all weather conditions), 600+ km BTH mode (dedicated sector coverage). A cruise missile is clearly a target with “cleaner” contour or in other words, profile, definitely a lower RCS compared to a conventional fighter jet, a 350 km detection range for such target on look-down mode is clearly impressive but on the other side, also a bit doubtful.
On the other hand, AN/APY-2 on Block 35 RSIP E-3, which has an PESA antenna of a size of 10.95 sqm, rotating in its standard operational rotation speed of 6 rpm can detect a target around 400 km away look-down (probably a target with 5 sqm RCS)… Gosh this is getting more and more confusing.
TBH, its quite meaningless arguing which one is better or whatever, not knowing any of the specific information like search rate, neither beam-forming angle/search mode, nor the maximum output for the T/R modules; its an AESA not a rotordome…. Indeed, when the beam is narrower, E-737 can even detect sth beyond 600+ km as of what NG and Boeing claims and this also carries conviction, as E-737 successfully detected NK BMs launched hundreds of kilometers away until now…
Apart from all that, the only one thing sure about Erieye for me is that it can’t look 360. That’s why it got dropped out so early in the Korean E-X. The RoC clearly stated a 360 detection and Erieye was not able to do that. I’ve also saw several arguments about whether Erieye is able to detect 360 or not, including the one here in keypublishing, 2006. SAAB stated a 360 detection and so did the other sources like flight, etc. claiming compensated 360 detection with optimal performance for 150 degrees each side… guess that was a vine from SAAB.
Anyways, will it be true what Ericsson/SAAB claims, that Erieye ER can detect and track a cruise missile on low-alt with look-down in a distance of 350 km? If that is the case, those GaN T/R modules in Erieye ER will definitely be handling some impressive output.
By: swerve - 28th April 2017 at 17:55
Globaleyes stripped down to AWACS-only, without all the other sensors, would still be relatively expensive, but much more capable than the 340s. The higher operating altitude would put the horizon further away, extending the effective range of the radar at medium to low altitudes. Definitely desirable. Hope for it, but be ready to accept an upgrade to the ER radar on the 340s, I think.
Letting the Swedish air force’s Erieye fleet die, or even fail to be upgraded, for lack of money wouldn’t help sell new Erieyes & upgrades of those already exported.
By: JakobS - 28th April 2017 at 14:11
Oh god no!
Without additional funds the two remaining ones will have to be retired around 2020. It was a rather big story about it in the news a few months ago. The press have never been allowed in those planes before, but they were allowed to fly with them for a whole day this time which says something about how the Air Force is viewing the problem.
The politicians have promised additional strengthening of the defense budget in that timeframe, but there are so extremely many things in need of money that I’m unsure how it will unfold.
If I would speculate money will be found to upgrade the current two ones with the new radar and that will be it. The government (regardless if it’s run by the left or the right) is however always found of giving some industrial support to Saab, so two Globaleye is probably not out of the question. IMO so many sensors is unnecessary, only the AWACS part is needed. I’d rather have them spend more money on additional planes.
SAAB definitely have more 340’s and 2000’s they could take back from their leasing program and sell, but not anyones standing ready for it. However, I find it hard that any of those two would be chosen. The Air Force wishes for a bigger plan that can fly higher and longer with more speed. It should also be big enough to have some self defense system integrated.
By: swerve - 26th April 2017 at 22:52
JakobS –
any chance of spending some money to make up for disposing of some of the original Erieyes? Are there SAAB 340s in storage that could be fitted out? Or SAAB 2000s?
By: Loke - 26th April 2017 at 21:29
Saab confirmed today that the order they received in January was indeed for a third GlobalEye:
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February 10, 2016 at 10:18 pm