# Gripen E

Canada’s Fighter Pick at Crossroads: Saab’s Hybrid Fleet Proposal Ups the Stakes in F-35 Debate

Canada’s long-running fighter replacement programme is back in flux after Sweden’s Saab proposed a mixed fleet that would pair retained F-35s with Gripen E jets and GlobalEye AWACS. The offer emphasises lower acquisition and operating costs and promises local production and technology transfer, forcing Ottawa to weigh alliance interoperability and American political sensitivities against industrial sovereignty, Arctic surveillance needs and budget pressures.