The prospect of choosing the Gripen comes as ties between Canada and Sweden deepen during a state visit by King Carl XVI Gustaf. Newsweek reported that it contacted the Canadian government for comment.
Canada has already selected the F-35A to renew its Royal Canadian Air Force fleet and has committed to buying 88 aircraft to replace its Boeing F/A-18 Hornets. Ottawa has allocated funds for 16 F-35s now being built in Fort Worth, Texas, but the remainder of the order appears uncertain amid worsening relations between Canada and the Trump administration.
Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered a review of the F-35 programme, prompting former Air Force officers to warn that moving away from US procurement would weaken capability. Radio-Canada reported that former defence officials sent a signed letter to Carney and other senior decision makers cautioning against a shift to the Gripen E/F.
The letter has not been released, though Radio-Canada said it had been signed by former chief of staff of the Canadian armed forces Tom Lawson. Lawson did not confirm this but told the broadcaster that the F-35 was superior to the Gripen and that having a hybrid fleet with two sets of infrastructure would be “close to useless” during wartime.
A state visit by top Swedish officials, including Defence Minister Pal Jonson and Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch, has fuelled speculation that a Gripen deal could be under discussion, with Saab offering to build a new assembly line in Canada. Industry Minister Melanie Joly told CBC that the F-35 agreement had not generated enough jobs and industrial benefits and that Ottawa was “really interested in what can be done” regarding the Gripen.
Canadian defence policy expert Philippe Lagassé told CBC that industrial gains will play a major role in how lawmakers approach the fleet modernisation.
Source: Newsweek.
