TheArtOfAnActual
MaybeKindaSortaSolidarityDealVille
It's no longer just an offer to build the Gripen fighter jet in Canuckistanmikitaville as a replacement for those 60 odd US'ian F-35's that we haven't bought yet.
Now the Swedes have further sweetened the pot according to Eric Reguly writing in the Globe (web archive link):
Swedish defence company Saab is intensifying its campaign to secure Canadian aircraft sales by offering to build the entire GlobalEye military surveillance plane in Canada if the Department of National Defence orders it.
In an interview at the Saab factory in Linköping, in southern Sweden, David Moden, senior sales director for the GlobalEye, said that building the entire aircraft in Canada would create 3,000 jobs. “We are offering a made-in-Canada solution by building and installing the plane’s sensors there,” he said...
Hmmmm....
If it were to happen, that sure would be some pivotal realignment away from that whole 51st state-type thing don't you think?
Regardless the ultimate outcome, just giving it a serious look, as the Carneyites have signalled they're doing, is sure to be a heck of a trade talk bargaining chip.
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6 comments:
The planes will come as a flat pack, but all hex keys will be supplied!
Sounds good to me. I see Trump is now threatening to execute “traitors”.
last two para. in the post. Yes indeed. Sounds good to me.
In 2024, the f-35 was the plane to get to defend Canada from Russian aggression, but in 2025, the world has chnaged.
Canada needs for defense has changed and the Gripen satisfies those needs.
Strategically, the Gripen is a multi task aircraft, that can operate off the grid, so to speak, the F-35 cannot.
The Gripen is able to operate in conditions that the F-35 cannot match, as it needs to be fully serviced after each flight to maintain its "stealth" abilities. This means the F-35 needs proper airfields to operate, the Gripen can operate off a country road, with a "flying squad" of vehicles to refuel and rearm it. This is strategically important in today's world.
But what the Gripen really offers is the ability to kick-start Canada's once great aerospace industry, as Canada can improve the Gripen as time goes by and even maybe developed our own or joint Swedish/Canadian stealth aircraft.
With the F-35, Canada remains a thrall of the USA, a politcal eunuch. With the Gripen, Canada will grow up and find a real place in today's world.
@EE:
The Gripen has a lot going for it for sure, especially in the Arctic. But Canada shouldn’t be rushing to go all in on it just because of a distaste for Trump. Nor should we purchase the F-35 because of fear of what Trump will do if we don’t. It should be based on a straight up assessment of Canada’s needs and responsibilities as a strategic partner, whether in NATO or NORAD. If it turns out it is the best overall fighter that meets our military needs and obligations, and even better revives an aircraft industry here, then great.
I’m wondering what your assessment is of the NORAD implications. What impact would going with the Gripen have on integration and operational realities?
I’m also interested in what threat you see to our northern border if it isn’t Russia? How has the threat profile changed, both in actors and actions? Who is the enemy we would be expecting and patrolling against in the Arctic, and why would the Gripen give us the advantage there in that regard, although the F-35 was the aircraft to buy a year ago to deal with Russia’s threat you say no longer should be considered?
It’s interesting that you no longer view Russia as a threat. Finland and Sweden recently just joined NATO because of Russian aggression but you think Canada should relax our stance in that regard. Russia is also currently in the midst of an invasion of Ukraine, bombing it and killing Ukrainians there daily. Looks aggressive to me.
Thanks.
Oh, Russia is a threat alright, but the sh**-kicking they are taking in the Ukraine will put Putin's military adventures back a decade or so.
but the deliberate misinformation campaign against the Gripen is telling. The Canadian air-force commander who originally wanted the f-35 has reversed his stance due to the many issues plaguing the aircraft. The availability of the aircraft after each flight is poor.
As well another RCAF commander works for Lougheed Martin, so just in whose best interests is he working for.
The reason for not operating both aircraft is weak, and the real reason is that those who want the F-35 do not want an apples to apples comparison with the Gripen. oh ya, the Gripen is also integrated with NATO, which means it is integrated with NORAD.
why not operate both as it is fools game to operate just one aircraft, unless those wanting the only the f-35 have received their plain brown manila envelopes.
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