Poland in advanced talks with Sweden for early warning aircraft

Poland is set to acquire two Saab 340 Erieye AEW&C aircraft from Sweden, according to a statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Mariusz Błaszczak, as well as a briefing slide shown by the Polish Air Force. (Saab)

Poland is in the advanced stages of negotiations with Sweden to acquire airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for the country's armed forces.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Mariusz Błaszczak, made the disclosure on 22 May, saying he expects a contract to be finalised in the near term.

“I wanted to say publicly for the first time that we are very advanced in obtaining early warning aircraft from Sweden. We are already conducting detailed negotiations. I hope they will be successful in a short time,” Błaszczak said during a meeting of Northern Group NATO members. “In this way, we strengthen the resilience of Poland, but also of the entire eastern flank of the [NATO] alliance,” he added.

Poland does not currently field an airborne AEW&C capability, relying instead on the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force (NAEWF) and the Boeing E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft of the E-3A Component.

While the minister did not disclose an aircraft type or number, a Polish Air Force briefing slide shown at the IDET 2023 defence exhibition in Prague on 25 May showed a timeline to acquire two Saab 340 Erieye aircraft, with deliveries to take place by early 2024.