ANKARA — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the alliance will work with Swedish manufacturer Saab on up to 10 early warning surveillance planes built by a Canadian company.

Rutte told an audience at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, that its current fleet is nearing the end of its lifespan.

The GlobalEye system combines Saab technology with Bombardier’s Global 6500 business jet.

Micael Johansson, president and CEO of Saab, says the company is confident that GlobalEye is the right choice for the alliance.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in May that Ottawa also was looking to buy six surveillance aircraft from Saab.

Johansson has said the company would establish a Canadian hub to build planes in Canada.

“(GlobalEye) is a proven system with a demonstrated ability to detect, track and identify complex threats,” Rutte told an audience Tuesday.

“(It) is a real success story made in NATO.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2026.

— By Aaron Sousa in Edmonton

The Canadian Press