Sweden’s Saab presented the first Saab 340 AEW (Airborne Early Warning) aircraft to the customer during a ceremony in Linköping, just two months after Poland placed an order for two AEW aircraft.
In a ceremony today in Sweden, we unveiled the first 340 AEW system to the Polish customer. The solution, presented only two months after the order, will provide Poland’s Armed Forces with a national asset to reinforce territorial integrity and national security. #AEWC pic.twitter.com/TRo94IyjoV
— Saab (@Saab) September 29, 2023
Guests from Sweden and Poland attended the event, which marked a milestone towards the rapidly proceeding delivery to Poland of the Saab 340 AEW equipped with the Erieye radar. The solution will provide Poland’s Armed Forces with a national asset to reinforce territorial integrity and national security.
The fast pace is a result of the efficient collaboration between Saab and the Polish Armed Forces and the fact that Saab has an ongoing production line for airborne early warning solutions. This includes dedicated personnel and in-house expertise to perform all kinds of tests and evaluations for the necessary approval of the systems.
See also: Poland acquires Swedish Saab 340 AEW airborne early warning and control aircraft
“We are honoured to provide this important capability to Poland and proud to be quickly progressing towards the delivery of this airborne early warning system to the Polish Armed Forces,” says Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s business area Surveillance.
Saab 340 AEW, together with associated ground equipment, provides a detailed situational picture that can be used for military and civilian tasks including air surveillance and rescue operations.
Different configurations of Saab’s Erieye AEW/AEW&C system have been sold to nine countries, making it one of the most widely used airborne surveillance systems in the world.
The aircraft that were purchased by Poland are most likely the two Saab 340 AEWs that Sweden is not currently using (they originally ordered four units), which must have been kept in storage, given the speed with which they were able to get them ready for transfer to the new user.
