Saab is bidding for Canada’s Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) and today announced that leading Canadian aerospace companies IMP Aerospace & Defence, CAE, Peraton Canada and GE Aviation are the ‘Gripen for Canada Team’.
Saab is offering Gripen E, with the support of the Swedish government, for Canada’s future fighter requirement of 88 new aircraft to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s existing CF-18 Hornet fighter fleet.
“The Canadian Request for Proposal requires companies to deliver high-quality industrial and technological benefits, such as Saab has demonstrated with Gripen for Brazil and is offering for Finland and India’s fighter requirements.
Saab’s bid to the Government of Canada will include a comprehensive proposal to deliver those benefits, with high quality jobs and technology, adding greater economic value and knowledge across Canadian industry coast to coast. Today’s announcement is the first step toward achieving this offer with IMP Aerospace & Defence, CAE, Peraton Canada and GE Aviation as the .Gripen for Canada Team.”
“Over the past two years, Saab and the Swedish Government have been encouraged by Canada’s open and transparent competition to replace its fighter fleet. Today, we are delighted to announce the ‘Gripen for Canada Team’. We have assembled a dynamic roster of innovative leaders within Canada’s aerospace industry, across multiple regions to offer the best solution for Canada’s future fighter,” said Jonas Hjelm, Senior Vice President and head of Business Area Aeronautics.
He further stated that, “Saab is committed to securing long-term relationships in Canada that will create a significant number of highly-skilled, sustainable jobs for Canadians within domestic and international supply chains.”
Given the likely repercussions from the Us administration, it is difficult to see Canada buying anything other than aircraft from the US. F35 most likely, but possibly the latest Superhornet or F15. Does Canada really need a fifth gen aircraft or would it be better off with updated 4+ models?
When you have America on your door step your protected. And Alaska addds more protection.
An impressive aircraft for the money without any shadow of a doubt, and is already cleared to use a range of weapons including Meteor.
For countries looking to increase the size and capability of their airforce on a tight defence budget, it makes a lot of sense to purchase the Gripen.
Glad they have opted in with the future development of Tempest.
I wonder if the smart play would be to opt for Gripen and then come on board with Tempest? Just a thought!
Hi Nigel, I share your love of the Gripen and its alternative approach to sophisticated fast jet operations. It’s great Saab/Sweden are part of Tempest – I hope they will bring a sense of reality and pragmatism to the project. We can’t afford a repeat of the JSF programme which promises so much but is ruinously expensive to own and operate. The Typhoon fleet will need to be replaced 1 for 1 as they are retired. We can’t do another “we are committed to buying 138 of the type over the course of the programme” jobbie like F35. Affordability has… Read more »
Agreed!
Lots of work for british firms if they choose it, can’t see it though, too easy to choose American for Canada.
didn’t canada want a 2 engined plane for long patrols up north?
A twin-engined Gripen E/F would be quite something!
One on the drawing board I believe?
https://robotpig.net/aerospace-news/saab-new-stealth-fighter-program-_1827
Yeah that used to be a requirement back in the day, I think thats why they acquired Hornets and not F16s.
But then that would also preclude the F35 from the competition, wouldn’t it? So the Americans can’t use that against the Gripen…
Wasnt that always a USN and RN requirement too? Seems as though jet engine reliability has increased.
This now down to the F35, F18 or Gripen. Dassualt and Eurofighter have pulled out. Eurofighter were unhappy that the offsets favoured Lockheed, can’t recall why Dassualt pulled out. I really only see this going one way now which is the F35.
One of the requirements for this RFP is that bidders have to be able to detail how they will meet NORAD intelligence sharing requirements. Non-American bidders will have to obtain access to highly sensitive NORAD codes controlled by the US. That’s the reason Airbus pulled out of the competition. It’s difficult to see how the US will agree to share any codes with SAAB, a Swedish company based in a non-NATO country that has had rather prickly relations with the US over the past several decades.
“…a non-NATO country that has had rather prickly relations with the US over the past several decades.”
Military-wise Sweden and NATO/US has never worked closer than now.
So what. Sweden refuses to take the next step and apply for NATO membership and has not built any good will in the US at all. In fact, Sweden treats the US as an adversary in international forums. Do you really think the US is going to give it access to its most sensitive NORAD codes that involve the direct defense of the continental US?
The T-7A is a joint USA and Swedish aircraft so I’m not sure where all pkcasimir is getting his theories on US Swedish relations and “good will”.
Only reason F35 has been allowed to bid, is because the Canadians dropped certain rules of the competition!
Otherwise, the US said they would not enter
Despite the somwhat tense current situation between the US and Canada, presidents and prime minister’s come and go and this procurement will set Canada’s next fighter for the next 40 years. The reality is that despite the stop start nature of the procurement, the F35 will win, North American solidarity will eventually win out, anything else is just delay and political face saving. It must infuriate the Canadian Air force, who just want something ordered, probably not too bothered which contender wins, they are all capable. The Gripen E is an excellent aircraft and would suit the Canadians just fine,… Read more »
Fantastic aeroplane. But replacing the F18 with these is like swapping an old car for a new motorbike.