Saab and CAE Expand Strategic Partnership for Canada's Airborne Early Warning Programme

## Saab and CAE Strengthen Alliance for Canadian AEW&C Bid Swedish defence and aerospace group Saab has expanded its strategic partnership with simulation and training technology company CAE, signing a formal teaming agreement to jointly pursue Canada's future Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) programme, according to a PR Newswire release dated 27 May 2026. The agreement centres on Saab's GlobalEye platform, a multi-role airborne surveillance system based on the Bombardier Global 6000 business jet, which Saab is positioning as its candidate solution for Canada's AEW&C requirement. CAE, headquartered in Montreal, brings significant expertise in mission systems training and simulation, making the partnership a strategically complementary pairing for a programme of this scale and complexity. The teaming agreement for Canada represents a continuation and expansion of a partnership the two companies had previously established, signalling growing confidence from both parties in the GlobalEye platform's prospects within the Canadian procurement process. While primarily a defence aviation programme, Canada's AEW&C initiative carries direct relevance for the maritime domain. Airborne early warning and control aircraft play a critical role in maritime patrol and surveillance operations, providing long-range detection of surface and sub-surface threats across vast oceanic areas — a capability of particular strategic importance given Canada's extensive Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific coastlines. The GlobalEye system is already in service with the United Arab Emirates Air Force and has been selected by Sweden, demonstrating operational credibility ahead of the Canadian competition. CAE's involvement is expected to strengthen the bid's domestic industrial content proposition, a key consideration in Canadian defence procurement policy. No timeline for Canada's formal AEW&C programme decision has been publicly confirmed at this stage. Both Saab and CAE are expected to provide further details on the scope of their collaboration as the procurement process advances. *Source: PR Newswire*