TSAMTO, May 24. The Polish authorities are negotiating with Sweden on the acquisition of Saab's GlobalAi long-range radar detection and control aircraft for the country's Armed Forces.
According to Jane's Defense Weekly, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak first reported on this project on May 22, saying that he expects the contract to be signed in the near future.
According to M. Blashchak, negotiations on the supply of long-range radar detection aircraft from Sweden have progressed significantly, and he expects that they will be completed soon. Thus, the combat capability of the Polish Armed Forces, as well as the entire eastern flank of NATO, will be strengthened.
Currently, there are no AWACS aircraft in service with the Polish Armed Forces. The country relies on NATO's early warning tools. Although the minister did not disclose the number of aircraft purchased, according to Jane's experts, the needs of the Polish Armed Forces range from two to six units.
As reported by TSAMTO, GlobalAi is a further development of Saab-developed AWACS systems. The aircraft is equipped with a new dorsal radar "Eriai ER" S-band (2-4 GHz) with an active antenna array with electronic scanning, developed using a modern element base based on gallium nitride (GaN). As stated, the "Eriai ER" is resistant to interference, increases the detection range of inconspicuous aerial targets by 70% and allows detecting cruise missiles in a difficult jamming environment. The detection range of the station exceeds 650 km and can be increased by focusing energy.
GlobalAy is also equipped with a set of other active and passive sensors that provide long-range detection and identification of objects in the air, at sea and above ground. By providing real-time information to Air Force, CB and Navy units, the aircraft provides situational awareness and early threat detection.
