OTTAWA — Swedish aerospace giant Saab is considering Canada as a place to assemble Gripen fighter jets as it moves to quickly ramp up production to meet the demand from Ukraine.
Saab’s CEO Micael Johansson said in recent interviews with financial news publications that Kyiv’s interest in purchasing more than 100 Gripen fighter jets would double the defence company’s production needs.
The Financial Times and the Reuters news agency reported Johansson said in recent interviews that the company is searching for ways to expand production, possibly in Canada or elsewhere in Europe.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly tells The Canadian Press this is welcome news and says she’s been working with Saab to see what can be done for more partnerships with Canada — efforts that began with the Global Eye surveillance plane, jointly manufactured by Saab and Bombardier.
Sweden and Ukraine signed a letter of intent last week in preparation for an export deal that would send up to 150 Gripens to the war-torn nation — though a contract has not yet been signed.
While Saab has production lines for its Gripen jets in Sweden and Brazil, it said the jets could be built and maintained in Canada when it pitched Ottawa on its Gripens as a replacement for the CF-18s.
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