Former Canadian military officers have urged their country’s government not to switch from the U.S. to Sweden to beef up its fleet of advanced aircraft, it has been reported.
Canadian media reported how retired air force officers in the country had pleaded with the government against proposals to truncate its future F-35A fleet and switch to buying Gripen E/F fighters from Swedish manufacturer Saab.
The prospect of buying the Swedish jets comes amid growing ties between Ottawa and Stockholm, sealed this week by a visit to Canada by Sweden’s head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. Newsweek has contacted the Canadian government for comment.
Why It Matters
Canada selected the fifth-generation fighter jet made by Lockheed Martin to update its aircraft fleet and has commitments to buy 88 F-35As from Lockheed to replace the RCAF’s Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fighters.
Ottawa has earmarked funds for 16 F-35s being constructed in Fort Worth, Texas, but the rest of the fleet appears up for grabs, amid worsening ties between Canada and the Trump administration.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered a review of the F-35 program but former Air Force officers have a warned that diversifying defense procurement away from the U.S. would lead to a less effective air force.
What To Know
Radio-Canada reported how former defense officials sent a signed letter to Carney and other government decision makers in Ottawa, warning against pivoting toward buying Gripen E/F fighters from Swedish manufacturer Saab instead of F-35As.
The letter has not been made public but Radio-Canada said it had been signed by former chief of staff of the Canadian armed forces Tom Lawson.
Lawson would not confirm this but he did tell the Canadian broadcaster that the F-35 was superior to the Gripen and that having a hybrid fleet with two different sets of infrastructure would be “close to useless” during wartime.
A state visit to Canada by top Swedish officials, including Defense Minister Pal Jonson, Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch and the Swedish monarch added to speculation that a deal over the Gripens could be in the offing, as Saab tries to seal the deal with an offer of building a new assembly line in Canada.
Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly told CBC that not enough jobs and industrial benefit have been created from the F-35 deal and that Ottawa was “really interested in what can be done” regarding the Gripen aircraft.
Canadian defense policy expert Philippe Lagassé told CBC that the industrial benefits from updating the fleet will be a major consideration for Ottawa’s lawmakers.
What People Are Saying
Former chief of staff of the Canadian armed forces Tom Lawson to Canadian media: “The F-35 is so far beyond anything that the Gripen can provide that anything you’d be saving in terms of money by going to a second fleet would be lost.”
Canadian defense policy expert Philippe Lagassé told CBC: “Nobody is saying the F-35 is a bad plane,…the government has to make decisions around how it’s balancing what it sees as our defense requirements and industrial requirements and how to build partnerships.”
Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly to Canadian media: “We need to have more details about it because we need to be able to do the analysis of how much we could benefit from it.”
What Happens Next
Canada is seeking a broader economic partnership with Sweden, but Joly’s comments suggest that Ottawa still needs more details about Saab’s proposal and a final decision will likely weigh up Canada’s military capability, alliance obligations, and economic sovereignty.
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