The Canadian government, which is seeking to reduce its reliance on U.S. military companies, announced on Wednesday that it plans to purchase several surveillance and early-warning aircraft from Sweden’s Saab, while dropping the option of buying from the American company Boeing.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday at a defence conference in Ottawa that his government has begun talks with Saab to purchase GlobalEye surveillance aircraft. According to him, the Royal Canadian Air Force will use these aircraft to detect and contain threats in the Arctic region.
Carney said: “This system will strengthen Canada’s strategic independence and create new job opportunities in the country.”
The GlobalEye system is built on the Canadian company Bombardier’s 6500 jet and is equipped with Saab radars and sensors. The jet is produced at Bombardier’s plant in Toronto.
The Royal Canadian Air Force had previously planned to buy up to six early-warning aircraft for domestic operations and overseas missions. Concerns over monitoring and protecting Canada’s territory in the Arctic have increased the need for these aircraft.
The aircraft can track land, sea and air targets from a distance of up to 650 kilometres.
In March, Carney pledged that Canada would take full responsibility for protecting its vast Arctic territory.
Last year, Carney’s government increased the defence budget and announced that Canada, in line with its NATO commitments, was allocating two percent of its gross domestic product to military spending. The United States has called on Canada and other NATO members to increase this figure to five percent of GDP.
Saab said in a statement that, if the agreement is finalized, it will invest in research and development in Canada. Carney also said the deal would create around 2,000 jobs and that the aircraft technology would be transferred to Canada for domestic production.
Philip Lagassé, associate director of the Centre for International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, described the decision as “an important test” of the Carney government’s policy to reduce dependence on U.S. weapons and military capabilities.
Saab also hopes the deal will pave the way for the sale of Gripen fighter jets to Canada. Ottawa is currently assessing the possibility of buying those fighter jets as well.
Canada had previously signed a contract to purchase 88 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin. However, after the United States imposed tariffs on Canadian imports, Carney asked the military to assess the possibility of reducing that order and considering alternative options.
The Gripen fighter jet is considered one of the main options for modernizing Canada’s air force, and Ottawa may meet part of its needs through Saab. This shift is seen, to some extent, as a result of Canada’s declining trust in the United States.
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