Saab has received an order from the Polish Ministry of National Defence for two Saab Erieye airborne early warning (AEW) platforms, the company announced on 25 July 2023.
The contract, which is worth around SEK 600 M (EUR 52.3 M), covers two Saab 340 twin-turboprop aircraft equipped with the dorsally mounted Erieye radar system as well as ground equipment and in-country logistic and support services. The systems are due to be delivered by the end of 2025.
The Erieye system, an active electronically scanned-array (AESA) radar operating in the S-band, offers 300-degree coverage (there are dead zones directly forward and aft), and can detect ships, aircraft and missiles out to a range of 350 km. According to Saab, the radar’s effective surveillance area is over 500,000 km2 horizontally and more than 60,000 ft vertically.
“Sea coverage is only limited by the horizon and everything from fighter aircraft, hovering helicopters, cruise missiles and jet-ski-sized sea targets can be detected and tracked,” the company states on its website. “The system delivers a reliable flow of precise information, irrespective of atmospheric and clutter conditions.”
Various configurations of the Saab Erieye AEW system have been sold to nine other countries: Brazil, Greece, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
Peter Felstead
