Canada has announced plans to purchase a fleet of early warning aircraft from Sweden's Saab, bypassing a competing offer from Boeing, as the country seeks to reduce its reliance on American defense companies.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on April 16 at a defense conference in Ottawa that Canada would choose Saab's GlobalEye, an aircraft developed from Bombardier's Global 6500 business jet. Boeing's E-7 Wedgetail—which has faced delays and cost overruns—was also under consideration.
“With its advanced sensors and mission systems, Saab's GlobalEye will be a critical resource for the Canadian Armed Forces to detect and deter threats across the Arctic,” Carney told the conference.
Carney pledged in March that Canada would take responsibility for defending its vast Arctic territory, after decades of relying on partnerships with the US to monitor more than 4.4 million square kilometers of land and sea—an area larger than India.
In a statement, Saab said it planned to invest in research and development in Canada as part of the potential deal.
Although Carney did not provide details on the fleet size or contract cost, military officials have previously said Canada wants to purchase six early warning aircraft.
Philippe Lagasse, deputy director of the center for international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, described the GlobalEye purchase as “a critical test case for the Carney government's policy of pivoting away from US military capabilities.”
He said in a statement that the decision affirms Canada's relationship with Sweden, a new NATO ally also keen to strengthen ties with the Canadian military.
Earlier, Canada had expressed a desire for closer cooperation with Nordic nations in the Arctic on defense and other matters, as the US has become a less reliable partner.
“GlobalEye has created jobs in Canada and works with the Canadian supply chain. This decision brings our two countries even closer together,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on social media.
Saab is also competing to sell Canada several Gripen fighter jets. Canada has an agreement to buy 88 F-35s from Lockheed Martin, but last year, after the US imposed tariffs on key Canadian imports, Carney asked the military to review whether it could reduce the order and buy some aircraft from another manufacturer.
