Canada’s Fighter Debate Reopens Door for Gripen

Commenting on the speculation that Canada might revise its plans to acquire a fleet consisting entirely of F-35s, Mikael Franzén, Saab chief marketing officer for the Gripen multirole fighter, said his company is “responding to questions.” Advocating for the combined strength of a potential mixed fleet, Franzén said, “Gripen is strong on availability and adaptability and would give combat mass to Canada.”

The revised selection—which could see some 72 of 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 orders canceled by Canada—could be more than a pointed statement on U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasingly fractious foreign policy. As for the financial burden, “of course, you will be able to procure more Gripens than F-35s, so it’s a significant cost difference," Franzén said, “but also the operational cost is significantly better on the Gripen.”

With Canada looking to acquire its new fleet before 2032, the acquisition of the Gripen would entail significant domestic production, said Franzén. This line could produce aircraft for export, too, he added.

Saab has already recognized what Franzén termed a “customer focus on quick deliveries,” having acknowledged a pressing need to scale its fighter production. This is split between two lines, in Linköping, Sweden, and Gavião Pexioto, Brazil. The rollout of the first Gripen E assembled at the latter facility is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026—marking the inaugural supersonic fighter built in the country—followed by the first two-seat Gripen F from the Linköping line in the second quarter.

Saab has already started investing in strengthening Swedish production, including increasing collaboration with suppliers. However, beyond that, Saab recognizes that further growth would require significant industrial collaboration, such as the existing technology transfer program that sees the E built at Embraer’s São Paulo facility. With Franzén identifying Canada and Portugal as ideal production sites, ultimately, augmented external collaboration will be critical to increasing Saab’s target rate of 36 aircraft per year.

Production of the 17 Gripen E/Fs that Colombia ordered in November 2025 is “underway, with the delivery schedule now being defined,” Franzén said, citing a first delivery scheduled for 2028. The first E model for existing C/D customer Thailand is anticipated in 2029, with discussions for potential second and third batches (of four aircraft each) to begin this year. Four additional aircraft for Hungary are also set to be delivered “very soon.”

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ acquisition plan for up to 40 multi-role fighter aircraft remains in play, while the Peruvian government has “approved budgets to a certain level” for a potential 24 aircraft. “We are in the final fight there,” suggested Franzén.

Within Europe, a landmark letter of intent signed in October 2025—identifying Ukraine’s interest in 100 to 150 Gripen E/Fs—will likely be preceded by a shorter-term solution entailing the transfer of Gripen C/Ds. “We are in tight connection with Ukrainian companies on how to set that up,” concluded Franzén, noting that Saab is “looking into how we should be able to support these aircraft in Ukraine, if and when they are delivered.”