Ottawa reaches preliminary deal with Saab for six GlobalEye aircraft

The federal government has reached a preliminary agreement with Swedish defence company Saab to move ahead with the purchase of six GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, which would be built in Canada with Bombardier. Ottawa said the deal is not a final contract, but it creates the framework for further negotiations on pricing, production, and a Canadian configuration for the aircraft. The government did not provide a final cost or timeline. The GlobalEye is an airborne early warning and control platform designed to detect and track threats such as aircraft, missiles, and drones from long distances. The decision has drawn political criticism, with Conservatives calling for reviews of how the purchase was selected and whether the planes meet Canada’s military needs.