Sweden's Saab contemplating Canada for its Gripen jet meeting

[ad_1] The Swedish defence agency Saab is contemplating Canada as a spot to assemble Gripen fighter jets because it strikes to rapidly ramp up manufacturing to satisfy demand from Ukraine.

Saab's CEO Micael Johansson mentioned in latest interviews with monetary information publications that Kyiv's curiosity in buying greater than 100 Gripen fighter jets would double the defence firm's manufacturing necessities.

The Monetary Occasions and the Reuters information company reported Johansson mentioned the corporate is looking for methods to broaden manufacturing capability, probably in Canada or elsewhere in Europe.

On the sidelines of the Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa, Business Minister Mélanie Joly instructed The Canadian Press Wednesday that is "excellent news" and that she spoke with Johansson earlier within the day.

"I have been actively working with Saab to see what may be performed to do extra partnerships with Canada, and it begins with the GlobalEye [surveillance plane], but in addition we're prepared to see what we will do to assist help Ukraine," she mentioned.

Canada seen as 'vital market' The World Eye, a long-range early warning surveillance plane, is collectively manufactured by Saab and Bombardier.

"We're at all times prepared to have the ability to have extra overseas direct investments in Canada," Joly mentioned. "We see eye to eye in relation to our place on Europe's safety and Ukraine, and we see eye to eye on the significance of our aerospace sector, and so I feel there's an amazing partnership between Canada and Sweden that we will additional."

<img loading="lazy" alt="a military jet " srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/53ef1df3-a3b0-4185-aad9-376d381d5c85,1761772054753/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C6517%2C4345%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/53ef1df3-a3b0-4185-aad9-376d381d5c85,1761772054753/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C6517%2C4345%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/53ef1df3-a3b0-4185-aad9-376d381d5c85,1761772054753/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C6517%2C4345%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/53ef1df3-a3b0-4185-aad9-376d381d5c85,1761772054753/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C6517%2C4345%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.4998849252013808" data-cy="image-img"/> A GlobalEye plane, manufactured by Saab Applied sciences, on static show through the 2019 Dubai Air Present. (Christopher Pike/Reuters) Simon Carroll, president of Saab Canada, mentioned in a media assertion to The Canadian Press on Wednesday the agency "views Canada and its formidable aerospace trade as an vital market to help a major improve in world demand."

"We're persevering with to develop and develop {our relationships} with Canadian corporations to help our packages and merchandise for Canada and for the export market," he mentioned.

The corporate wouldn't say who it's talking with concerning the jets or the place it is likely to be trying.

Carroll instructed the Canadian Aerospace Summit on Tuesday the corporate needs to export extra from Canada, broaden its operations in Canada and do extra meeting work on the GlobalEye right here.

Ukraine seeking to construct up combined fleet The planes are assembled in Mississauga, Ont., whereas the final a part of manufacturing is carried out in Sweden, the place the plane are outfitted with radar and sensor gear.

When Saab was making an attempt to promote Ottawa on shopping for its fighters as a alternative for the CF-18s, it mentioned Gripen jets may very well be constructed and maintained in Canada. It misplaced that contract to U.S. producer Lockheed Martin and its F-35 stealth fighters.

Sweden and Ukraine signed a letter of intent final week in preparation for an export deal that may ship as much as 150 Gripens to the war-torn nation. No contract has been signed but.

Ukrainian media shops have reported President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking to construct up a combined fleet of some 250 fighter plane, together with F-16s, Gripens and French Rafales.

The Gripens are seen as a precedence since they're simple to keep up and may take off from and land on roads, whereas their crews do not take lengthy to coach.

<img loading="lazy" alt="jet flying upwards in the sky" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/1ba450c5-54df-4863-9269-64961dd4e14d,1761772267307/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3331%2C1949%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/1ba450c5-54df-4863-9269-64961dd4e14d,1761772267307/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3331%2C1949%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/1ba450c5-54df-4863-9269-64961dd4e14d,1761772267307/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3331%2C1949%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/1ba450c5-54df-4863-9269-64961dd4e14d,1761772267307/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3331%2C1949%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.7090815802975885" data-cy="image-img"/> An F-35A Lightning II fighter jet practises for an air present look in Ottawa in 2019. The federal government continues to be deciding whether or not to proceed with a purchase order of 88 F-35 fighter jets. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press) Canada nonetheless mulling F-35 buy Canada is in the meantime nonetheless mulling whether or not to proceed with its deliberate buy of a fleet of 88 F-35 fighter jets.

Prime Minister Mark Carney known as for a overview of the key navy procurement deal in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's world commerce conflict.

At a latest parliamentary committee listening to, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr mentioned the F-35 overview report by the Division of Nationwide Defence has been despatched to the Prime Minister's Workplace.

"I am positive the prime minister has opened the report," Fuhr instructed the Home of Commons nationwide defence committee on Oct. 23.

"You might have seen various issues have been taking place. The federal government has performed various issues, together with this overview, and the overview shouldn't be full. An important factor right here, no matter how lengthy it takes, is we make the correct resolution. It is a large funding."

Joly instructed Radio-Canada in French earlier within the month that the federal authorities has not dominated out a combined fighter fleet. She mentioned one possibility for Ottawa is to maneuver ahead with a small fleet of F-35s and likewise purchase a separate fleet of Gripens.

Joly visited Saab in Sweden in August and mentioned after the journey that Ottawa's overview of the fighter jet buy is essentially about defending Canadian sovereignty, but in addition considers industrial advantages and jobs. Fuhr was on that journey as nicely.

Ontario's Financial Growth Minister Vic Fedeli additionally met with Saab's deputy CEO Anders Carp in Sweden earlier this month.

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has bristled over the concept that Canada might procure a combined fighter fleet and has warned it will be extremely costly for a rustic like Canada to keep up two fleets.