Saab has given Canada a detailed plan for domestic Gripen E production, as Ottawa continues reviewing the size and composition of its planned 88-aircraft F-35 fleet.
In remarks reported by Militär Aktuell and FlightGlobal from a media briefing held alongside the Swedish Air Force centenary air show at Malmen Air Base in Linköping, Sweden, on August 22, 2026, Saab President and Chief Executive Officer Micael Johansson said the company had outlined to the Canadian government how a production line could be established.
Johansson argued that the two fighters could form a so-called “high-low mix,” combining the F-35’s specialized capabilities with the Gripen’s high availability, smaller logistical footprint and ability to operate from a wider range of airfields and improvised bases.
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The repeated reporting from CBC based on sources inside the government had pointed towards plans for a mixed fleet mostly composed of F-35s, potentially even with the full order of 88 F-35s. Will this current trade war change this, or will we just keep delaying until it gets resolved and then go back to these plans? You would have thought the 51st state threats would have been enough to fully sideline the F-35s totally last year, but the idea of Fortress North America still seems to be the desired outcome for many in power.