“Saab Considers Canada for Gripen Jet Assembly”

Swedish defense company Saab is contemplating Canada as a potential location for the assembly of Gripen fighter jets to meet the increased demand from Ukraine promptly.

In recent discussions with financial news outlets, Saab’s CEO Micael Johansson mentioned that Kyiv’s interest in acquiring over 100 Gripen fighter jets would necessitate doubling the company’s production capacity.

Reports from the Financial Times and Reuters indicated that Johansson stated the company is exploring options to enhance production capacity, potentially in Canada or elsewhere in Europe.

During the Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly expressed enthusiasm about the news, mentioning her conversation with Johansson earlier that day.

Joly noted, “I’ve been actively collaborating with Saab to explore further partnerships with Canada, beginning with the GlobalEye surveillance plane. We are also exploring ways to support Ukraine.”

Canada’s Significance as a Market

The Global Eye, a long-range surveillance aircraft, is a joint production of Saab and Bombardier.

Joly emphasized, “We welcome additional foreign direct investments in Canada. Our alignment on European security, Ukraine, and the aerospace sector strengthens the partnership between Canada and Sweden.”

Simon Carroll, president of Saab Canada, conveyed in a statement to The Canadian Press that the company sees Canada as a crucial market to support the rising global demand.

Carroll highlighted, “We are enhancing our relationships with Canadian firms to bolster our programs and products for both the Canadian market and exports.”

The company did not disclose specific details about potential partners or locations for the aircraft.

During the Canadian Aerospace Summit, Carroll expressed the company’s intentions to increase exports from Canada, expand operations, and conduct more assembly work on the GlobalEye within the country.

Ukraine’s Plan for a Diverse Fleet

The Gripen jets are assembled in Mississauga, Ont., with final production stages carried out in Sweden, where the aircraft are equipped with radar and sensor systems.

Previously, when Saab was aiming to sell fighters to Ottawa as CF-18 replacements, it proposed building and maintaining Gripen jets in Canada, a deal that was eventually lost to Lockheed Martin’s F-35s.

Last week, Sweden and Ukraine signed a letter of intent in anticipation of an export agreement that could see up to 150 Gripens delivered to Ukraine, although no contract has been finalized yet.

Ukrainian reports suggest President Volodymyr Zelenskyy intends to establish a mixed fleet of approximately 250 fighter aircraft, including F-16s, Gripens, and French Rafales.

Gripens are preferred due to their ease of maintenance, capability to operate from and land on roads, and the swift training required for their crews.

Canada Evaluating F-35 Purchase

Canada is currently deliberating on the planned acquisition of 88 F-35 fighter jets.

Prime Minister Mark Carney initiated a review of the procurement deal following global trade tensions under U.S. President Donald Trump.

During a recent parliamentary committee hearing, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr mentioned that the review report from the Department of National Defence has been submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office.