Image: Matti Blume · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
CAE expands GlobalEye training with Saab partnership amid Canadian AEW&C deal
CAE increases training offerings for Saab's GlobalEye, leveraging its Bombardier Global 6500 expertise as Canada selects Saab for airborne early warning platform.
The gist
CAE partners with Saab to enhance pilot and mission training for the GlobalEye AEW&C platform following Canada's procurement decision.
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CAE is preparing to boost its training capabilities for Saab's GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform following the Canadian government's selection of Saab as the preferred supplier for its AEW&C needs. In late May, Canada announced Saab for the contract, which remains to be formally signed. The GlobalEye program adapts the Bombardier Global 6500 ultra-long-range business jet into a surveillance and command platform. With CAE already the authorized training provider for Bombardier's Global 6000 and 6500 models, the partnership with Saab aims to expand training scope beyond pilot instruction to include mission system and operational training.
The teaming agreement between CAE and Saab focuses on delivering integrated training solutions encompassing mission system support, advanced pilot training, and live, virtual, and constructive simulation environments. Pascal Grenier, president of CAE Defence & Security, highlighted that this collaborative effort intends to build a robust training framework initially for Canada's Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), with potential application to other GlobalEye operators worldwide. The agreement leverages Canada's investment to develop domestic sovereign training capabilities that support both aircrew and mission operators.
Currently, the United Arab Emirates, the launch customer for the GlobalEye, operates five Global 6000-based aircraft configured for wide-area surveillance. Additionally, Sweden and France have ordered three and two GlobalEye aircraft respectively. Saab’s Erieye ER radar system, integrated into GlobalEye, strengthens its competitive position for other international contracts, including a possible NATO AEW&C requirement where it faces competition against Boeing's E-7A Wedgetail and Northrop Grumman's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
CAE’s existing role as the authorized training partner for the Global 6000/6500 series already facilitates pilot training for GlobalEye operators worldwide, including UAE crews. The partnership with Saab is poised to augment this by incorporating comprehensive mission crew training, simulating complex operational scenarios to enhance mission readiness. Grenier emphasized that mission readiness transcends equipment delivery, requiring proficient training and operational preparedness for both pilots and mission specialists.
The Canadian AEW&C program will involve a number of GlobalEye platforms modified domestically from the Bombardier Global 6500 airframes. The timeline for operational capability remains unspecified, but deliveries are anticipated to commence in the early 2030s following completion of airframe modification work. Saab currently performs GlobalEye modifications at its Linkoping facility in Sweden. The Canadian program is expected to establish significant opportunities for CAE to tailor and expand training services in line with the evolving requirements.
CAE is leveraging its broad defense training portfolio, which includes modernizing simulators for complex platforms such as the NH Industries NH90 Sea Lion maritime helicopter, where CAE integrates its Prodigy image generator to enhance visual realism for mission-critical tasks such as hoisting, door gunner roles, and cargo operations. This experience underpins its capabilities to provide interoperable, high-fidelity training solutions for advanced AEW&C platforms like the GlobalEye.
The collaboration between CAE and Saab aligns with a market trend toward integrated training and simulation support accompanying sophisticated surveillance aircraft acquisitions. For countries operating or procuring the GlobalEye, access to consolidated pilot and mission training services is critical to achieving operational effectiveness. CAE’s position as an independent global training provider equipped to offer sovereign capabilities within domestic borders serves as a strong competitive advantage in this context.
With the Canadian government poised to finalize its AEW&C acquisition and CAE expanding its training offerings alongside Saab's platform, the GlobalEye’s global user community gains access to increasingly sophisticated, mission-focused training. This development solidifies CAE's role as a strategic partner in supporting next-generation airborne surveillance capabilities across multiple international defense customers.
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