Canada Eyes Gripen Jet; Saab Taps Local Defense Firms for Build...

Canada's fighter jet decision remains unsettled after Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended the country's $19 billion F-35 purchase (16 of 88 already delivered) in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's trade threats and annexation rhetoric. Saab is positioning the Gripen E as an alternative by announcing partnerships with Canadian aerospace firms—CAE, IMP, and Magellan Aerospace—to handle final assembly, electrical production, and structural manufacturing domestically if Ottawa selects the Swedish jet. The move comes as Carney has already committed Canada to buying six GlobalEye surveillance aircraft from Saab, a deal expected to support roughly 40 additional planes built in Canada over 15 years.