Saab is considering Canada as a place to assemble Gripen fighter jets to meet demand from Ukraine. According to CBC, Micael Johansson, CEO of Saab, mentioned Kyiv’s interest in purchasing 100+ Gripen fighter jets that would double the defence company’s production requirements, with plans to expand production capacity, possibly within Canada.
“The firm views Canada and its formidable aerospace industry as an important market to support a significant increase in global 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.”
Simon Carroll, president of Saab Canada, said in a media statement to The Canadian Press
Sweden’s Saab offered its Gripen fighter fleet as a replacement for the CF-18s but lost to U.S manufacturer Lockheed Martin‘s F-35 fighter jets. While Canada’s acquisition of 88 F-35 jets remains under review, rising program costs poses an important question — should Canada reconsider the Gripen E as an alternative or added fleet to the CF-18 replacement? And could Canada realistically afford/be able to manage a mixed fighter fleet? Before the CF-18s were acquired, the RCAF operated three different types of fighter jets. Ultimately, operating a mixed fleet was considered too expensive due to the costs associated with different training, infrastructure, and supply chains.
READ: Cover Story on Saab’s Gripen fighter
“The federal government has not ruled out a mixed fighter fleet. One option for Ottawa is to move forward with a small fleet of F-35s and also acquire a separate fleet of Gripens.”
Minister Mélanie Joly told The Canadian Press
Saab, in collaboration with Helsing, announced the successful completion of the first three flights integrating Helsing’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) agent ‘Centaur’ into a Gripen E fighter jet. Saab’s and Helsing’s joint Project Beyond team was set up using Gripen E to explore how trustworthy AI can be used against future threats.
READ MORE: Saab achieves AI milestone with Gripen E
With recent Canadian partnerships announced, Saab is looking to continue increasing its operations in Canada, including more assembly work on the GlobalEye. The GlobalEye is a leading Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) solution that combines the best of Swedish and Canadian expertise and quality. At the heart of the GlobalEye system is the Bombardier Global 6000/6500 aircraft, a Canadian-built platform that delivers long range, high endurance, and superior performance at all altitudes.
READ: Saab ready to offer GlobalEye for Canada’s Airborne Early Warning and Control program
CAE and Saab have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate on a training and simulation solution for Canada’s next generation submarine fleet. Under the MoU, Saab and CAE will jointly explore opportunities to provide world-leading training systems and simulation technology solutions for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
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