Canada is “interested” in potentially procuring the Gripen fighter jet from Sweden’s Saab, Industry Minister Melanie Joly said Tuesday, adding that Canada “didn’t get enough” out of the F-35 fighter jet deals from American firm Lockheed Martin.
“We’re looking at both at the same time,” Joly told reporters ahead of a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
“I don’t believe that we’ve had enough jobs created and industrial benefits done out of the F-35 contract. I think it’s not enough. I think Canadians expect more and we should get more,” she said.
“When it comes to the Gripen, of course we’re really interested in seeing what can be done,” she said, adding that Swedish defence giant Saab has offered Ottawa 10,000 new Canadian manufacturing jobs.
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“Ten thousand jobs is indeed a very interesting offer,” she said, adding that Ottawa is “having conversations with Saab.”
“At the same time, we’re looking at what Lockheed Market can do more,” Joly added.
The talks around replacing Canada’s ageing fleet of fighter jets come as the Swedish royal family is set to arrive in Ottawa Tuesday to begin a three-day state visit alongside a delegation of top government ministers and representatives from dozens of Swedish companies.
King Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden’s longest-reigning monarch, and Queen Silvia are visiting Ottawa and Montreal for their first trip to Canada since 2006.
A Canadian delegation that includes Chief Justice Richard Wagner will officially welcome the royal couple to Rideau Hall Tuesday morning.
With increased demands on the Canadian military and the geopolitical risks highlighted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, pressure has continued to mount on the government to speed up procurement in the process to replace Canada’s aging fleet of CF-18 fighter jets.
That process has been underway for more than 20 years.
In 2022, Ottawa said it was moving forward with finalization talks towards procuring Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, after decades of debate and a process that saw both the F-35 and Saab’s Gripen make it to the final round.
The Royal Canadian Air Force must be able to operate both with Americans to fulfil NORAD commitments to shared continental defence and also with European allies on NATO efforts.
Defence Minister David McGuinty launched a review into the F-35 decision earlier this year after U.S. President Donald Trump launched his trade war and tariffs against Canada.
The renewed openness to considering the Gripen comes amid a broader political, economic and strategic push to reduce Canada’s reliance on the U.S. and pursue closer strategic ties with European allies.
The U.S. also controls exports and upgrades of F-35 technology, which require congressional approval to be sold to other countries.
On Tuesday, Joly said Canada received an “unsolicited bid” from Saab for the Gripen.
She said the bid “at this point” is offering 10,000 jobs.
“We’ll see how concrete that is,” she said.
— With files from Global’s Amanda Connolly and The Canadian Press
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