Saab and Cohere launch AI upgrade for GlobalEye early warning aircraft for faster threat detection.

Saab and Cohere signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate advanced artificial intelligence into the GlobalEye early warning aircraft, focusing on data processing, threat detection, and predictive maintenance.

The cooperation will begin with pilot projects to test the performance of AI applications in real mission environments using secure on-premises systems. This non-binding MoU framework, by reducing detection-to-decision timelines and enabling real-time data prioritization, could strengthen the GlobalEye's battlefield responsiveness, enhance interoperability with joint forces, and reinforce airborne command-and-control effectiveness in high-threat environments.

Read also: Saab offers 72 Gripen fighters and six GlobalEye aircraft to Canada amid F-35 review

This agreement with Cohere could reduce the operator workload by filtering hundreds of tracks, diminish the risk of missed or misinterpreted signals, and forecast failures before they occur to schedule interventions based on actual system conditions. (Picture source: Saab)

On March 23, 2026, Saab signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Canadian company Cohere to initiate a cooperation focused on integrating advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities into the GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft. The agreement defines a non-binding framework intended to test and develop specific applications rather than deliver immediate operational deployment, with initial pilot projects already identified to evaluate feasibility in real mission conditions. The cooperation targets three concrete domains, namely data-driven mission support, predictive maintenance, and high-volume information processing, all to be implemented within secure on-premises environments compatible with military constraints. 

Cohere is an AI developer specialized in large language models and data processing systems designed for controlled environments rather than public cloud dependency. Its core capability lies in handling large volumes of unstructured and structured data, including text, signals, and operational logs, and transforming them into usable outputs such as summaries, classifications, or prioritized insights. The company's models can be deployed on private infrastructure or directly within isolated systems, allowing sensitive data to remain within national or organizational boundaries, a key requirement in defense applications. Its technology stack includes semantic search, data embedding, and reranking systems that enable the identification of relevant information across large datasets without relying on exact keyword matching.

Cohere also provides tools for automation, allowing repetitive analytical tasks to be executed by AI systems while maintaining human oversight. Its models can be customized using proprietary datasets, which allows adaptation to specific operational environments such as radar analysis or maintenance diagnostics. The agreement between Saab and Cohere focuses on three areas, namely data-driven mission support, maintenance tools, and information processing, all intended to be implemented within secure on-premises environments compatible with military constraints. Data-driven mission support refers to how crews handle operational information during missions, where GlobalEye generates hundreds of track and signal data from radar, maritime surveillance, infrared systems, and electronic intelligence.

Integrating AI in this area means the system can automatically classify objects, detect abnormal behavior, and highlight priority threats. The second area, information processing, concerns the transformation of raw sensor inputs into a usable operational picture, where AI would merge multiple data streams into a single coherent view, remove redundant or irrelevant data, and continuously update the situation in real time. This reduces the time between detection and understanding, which is critical when dealing with fast-moving threats. Maintenance tools refer to how the aircraft’s systems are monitored and sustained, with AI analyzing performance data to identify early signs of component degradation. 

The practical result is an increase in operational tempo, defined as the speed at which a military unit can detect, decide, and act. A data-driven mission support powered by AI filters hundreds of tracks and highlights only those that require immediate attention, allowing crews to focus on decision-making rather than data sorting. AI-powered information processing automatically correlates these data into a unified display, eliminating the need for manual cross-checking and reducing the risk of missed or misinterpreted signals. And AI-enhanced maintenance tools introduce predictive capabilities, forecasting failures before they occur and scheduling interventions based on actual system condition rather than fixed intervals, improving aircraft availability.

All of these functions are designed to operate within secure onboard systems without reliance on external networks, ensuring data remains protected and available even in contested environments. The GlobalEye is a multi-domain airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft capable of detecting and tracking threats across air, sea, and land simultaneously. Built on the Canadian Bombardier Global 6000/6500 business jet airframe, the GlobalEye is equipped with the Erieye ER radar to detect airborne targets at ranges exceeding 450 km and up to 550 km at higher altitudes. The aircraft can also identify low-altitude threats, including objects flying at 200 feet, from distances exceeding 450 km when operating at around 35,000 ft.

In addition to the main radar, the GlobalEye integrates a maritime surveillance radar to detect small surface targets and shallow-diving submarines, as well as electro-optical and infrared sensors for visual confirmation. Electronic intelligence systems further allow detection and classification of signal emissions from other systems, which reduces the need for multiple specialized aircraft performing separate roles. The GlobalEye can track up to 1,000 targets simultaneously and distribute this information through data links, satellite communications, and tactical networks to other units such as fighter jets or naval forces. In short, the Saab GlobalEye functions as a command and control node, allowing operators to coordinate missions, assign targets, and guide other assets in real time.

Its Track Data Fusion Engine (TDFE) consolidates multiple sensor inputs into unified tracks, reducing duplication and inconsistencies that would otherwise require manual correction. This capability shortens decision cycles and improves the accuracy of situational awareness. The aircraft also supports networked operations, enabling integration with other systems across a theater of operations. Its role, therefore, extends beyond surveillance alone, which is particularly relevant in environments where multiple threats must be managed simultaneously across different domains. Saab explicitly connects this partnership to its GlobalEye offer in Canada, while also indicating that resulting technologies could be extended to existing and future operators worldwide.

Saab’s GlobalEye proposal to Canada is part of a broader package that includes 72 Gripen fighter jets, which could support up to 12,600 jobs in Canada through domestic production, assembly, and sustainment activities distributed across provinces. In this package, the GlobalEye is intended to provide Canada with an airborne surveillance capability covering large and remote areas, particularly in northern and maritime regions where ground-based radar coverage is limited. This combined proposal is being evaluated alongside Canada’s existing plan to acquire 88 F-35 fighters, with total program costs exceeding $27 billion and subject to ongoing review. The AI partnership with Cohere, therefore, reinforces Saab’s positioning by adding a new industrial partner to its offer.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.