NATO plans to no longer rely on American aircraft as part of the renewal of its fleet of reconnaissance aircraft. This was confirmed to DPA by sources within the Alliance.
NATO's future fleet of airborne warning and control (AWACS) aircraft will consist of aircraft from the Canadian company Bombardier, equipped with the GlobalEye reconnaissance system and an early warning system developed by the Swedish company Saab. This was confirmed to the agency by NATO sources after the initial publication by the French portal La Lettre.
The order is expected to include up to 12 Global 6000 or Global 6500 aircraft worth several billion dollars.
A NATO spokesman did not deny or officially confirm this information. It was previously reported that a final decision was expected at the NATO summit in Ankara in July. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) is responsible for the multi-billion dollar project.
Initially, NATO planned to order American Boeing E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. However, this plan was abandoned after the US government announced its withdrawal from the program last year.
In September, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that, following the planned decommissioning of the AWACS reconnaissance aircraft, Berlin was considering purchasing Saab's GlobalEye early warning aircraft. After the US withdrawal, Germany is expected to cover the bulk of the costs.
Today, Boeing 707 aircraft, some of which are almost four decades old, serve as the basis for NATO's airborne radar surveillance system. These aircraft are now mainly used to monitor the airspace over Eastern Europe.
We recall that earlier Western media reported that the White House is considering a plan to punish some NATO members that, according to President Donald Trump, did not help the United States and Israel during the war in Iran. Among the potential options are the withdrawal of American troops from these countries and the closure of American bases.
Trump also warned that he is seriously considering the possibility of the United States withdrawing from NATO.