The Financial Times and Reuters reported that Johansson said the company is evaluating options to increase output, possibly in Canada or elsewhere in Europe. On Wednesday, Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told The Canadian Press, “I’ve been actively working with Saab to see what can be done to do more partnerships with Canada, and it starts with the GlobalEye [surveillance plane], but also we’re willing to see what we can do to help support Ukraine.”
The GlobalEye early warning aircraft, jointly built by Saab and Bombardier, is seen as a foundation for future cooperation between Canada and Sweden. “We’re always willing to be able to have more foreign direct investments in Canada,” Joly said. “We see eye to eye when it comes to our position on Europe’s security and Ukraine, and we see eye to eye on the importance of our aerospace sector, and so I think there’s a great partnership between Canada and Sweden that we can further.”
Simon Carroll, President of Saab Canada, confirmed the company’s growing interest in Canada’s aerospace sector and its role in supporting international demand. “We’re continuing to grow and develop our relationships with Canadian companies to support our programs and products for Canada and for the export market,” he said in a statement to The Canadian Press.
Carroll told the Canadian Aerospace Summit that Saab wants to expand its Canadian operations, increase exports from Canada, and conduct more assembly of the GlobalEye surveillance aircraft locally. Final production of the GlobalEye currently takes place in Sweden, after initial assembly in Mississauga, Ontario.
Saab had previously offered to build and maintain Gripens in Canada as part of a bid to replace the country’s ageing CF-18 fleet, but lost the contract to US manufacturer Lockheed Martin and its F-35 stealth fighter. Meanwhile, Sweden and Ukraine have signed a letter of intent for a possible export deal of up to 150 Gripens, although no contract has yet been finalised.
Ukrainian media have reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aims to build a mixed fleet of around 250 fighters, including F-16s, Gripens and French Rafales. Gripens are seen as particularly suitable due to their short take-off capability, low maintenance requirements, and fast crew training timelines.
Canada is still reviewing its planned procurement of 88 F-35 jets, with Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for a reassessment amid international trade tensions. “The most important thing here, regardless of how long it takes, is we make the right decision. It’s a massive investment,” said Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr during an October 23 parliamentary committee hearing.
Joly has previously said the government is considering a mixed fleet option, which could include a combination of F-35s and Gripens. After a visit to Saab in Sweden in August, she said the review is focused on protecting Canadian sovereignty and evaluating industrial and job-related benefits.
Ontario’s Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli also met with Saab’s deputy CEO Anders Carp in Sweden earlier this month. However, US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has raised concerns, warning that maintaining two different fighter fleets would be “incredibly expensive” for Canada.
Source: The Canadian Press.
