Sweden’s defense minister, Pal Jonson, highlighted Canada’s strong aviation industry and aerospace expertise as conducive for expanding aircraft production, specifically Saab’s Gripen jet fighter, to cater to Ukraine’s developing air force. The potential partnership between Saab and Bombardier in the GlobalEye early warning surveillance and control aircraft project further strengthens the collaboration. Jonson emphasized the importance of building Gripen fighter jets outside Sweden due to capacity limitations and labor constraints in the country.
Saab’s CEO, Micael Johansson, suggested Canada as a potential location for expanding Gripen fighter production to meet the needs of Ukraine. This proposal has added a new dimension to Canada’s ongoing debate on its fighter jet program. Saab has projected the creation of up to 10,000 jobs in Canada through this partnership. While the Canadian government has ordered 16 F-35 stealth fighters, the decision on whether to proceed with a full order of 88 F-35s remains under consideration, leaving room for potential alternatives like the Gripen.
Jonson emphasized that the decision to expand Gripen production to Canada is independent of Canada’s potential order of Gripens. He underlined the fruitful collaboration between Saab and Bombardier in the GlobalEye project and expressed interest in continuing and strengthening this partnership. Sweden and Ukraine have signed a letter of intent for the potential export of Gripen-E fighters to Ukraine, with similar discussions ongoing with France for Rafale fighters. However, no firm contracts have been finalized yet.
Ukraine aims to build a mixed fleet of around 250 fighters, including Gripens, Rafales, and donated F-16s, but faces challenges in terms of technical, logistical, and financial aspects. The Ukrainian government’s financial constraints raise uncertainties about its ability to afford the fighter jets independently.