Production of the Gripen for Ukraine could be launched in Canada
The Swedish defense company Saab is considering the possibility of launching the assembly of Gripen fighter jets in Canada, and this could become part of the future logistics for supplying aircraft to Ukraine. The decision depends directly on whether Canada chooses these aircraft to modernize its air force. Saab Deputy CEO Anders Karp told The Canadian Press about this.
This is not just a technical idea, but a real option for expanding production that has already been discussed with the Canadian side. According to him, everything depends on whether Canada decides to purchase dozens of Gripen fighter jets for its armed forces and whether it wants to localize their production within the country.
Karp stated explicitly: “This has been discussed and proposed with Canada: if they choose the Gripen and want to have it manufactured there, this could become one of the locations from which the aircraft would be supplied to Ukraine.” Thus, a potential Canadian facility could become not only part of Canada’s own defense infrastructure but also an element of international support for Ukraine.
Saab also clarified the technical production timelines: building a single Gripen fighter can take up to 36 months, which explains the need for long-term planning and the deployment of production capacity in advance.
In effect, this involves a potential shift in the geography of modern fighter jet production, where Canada could become one of the key assembly centers, and Ukraine—the final recipient of some of these aircraft under international defense agreements.
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