On April 6, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri reported that Saab, the manufacturer of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter series, is still in negotiations with Canada about an acquisition of the single-engine jet. These discussions are taking place while the Canadian government is still theoretically committed to taking delivery of at least 16 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft.
However, funding has been allocated only for those 16 aircraft, leaving open the suggestion that Canada might opt for a second, non-US aircraft and operate a mixed fighter fleet. The original Canada F-35 order was intended to be for a total of 88 aircraft. If the Canadian procurement ends at only 16 of the F-35s, it would be open to acquiring 75 or more of another non-US fighter model.
Saab’s chief executive, Micael Johansson, told the Swedish daily that he was optimistic about signing a multimillion-dollar contract with Colombia within the next months to acquire the company’s JAS-39 Gripen fighter aircraft. He confirmed that the Swedish defense conglomerate was also engaged in ongoing talks with Canada and Portugal regarding a Gripen acquisition.
Reasons to Switch Horses
Portugal’s decision to explore the Gripen is logical after the southern European nation withdrew from plans to procure the F-35. Portugal’s most recent considerations of the Gripen were initiated in March 2025, when Defense Minister Nuno Melo announced the cancellation of the previously announced acquisition of 27 to 28 F-35A aircraft.
As with Canada, the decision to bow out of the F-35 program was made in Lisboa over concerns about the continuing US commitment to NATO. The Portuguese Defense Minister Melo is reported to have also listed the potential of Washington instituting “restrictions on the use, maintenance, and supply of US-origin components as a risk to operational autonomy. These concerns were part of a broader reevaluation of strategic dependencies” and led to Portugal’s decision to explore European-made alternatives to the F-35.
Some of Portugal’s issues are mirrored in Canada’s reconsideration of the F-35 acquisition. However, for the northern US neighbor, there is an even broader agenda of concerns about whether its long-running defense priorities and trade relations are still aligned with Washington to the degree that they have been in the past.
A Shift Away From the US
For Canada, this development raises questions about its defense priorities amid strained trade relations with the United States and growing strategic concerns in the Arctic. The possibility of Canada integrating the Gripen into its air force is another set of indicators that the traditional overlap of Washington’s and Ottawa’s priorities in national security and the need for reliable industrial partnerships are all now open to question.
In the past, when potential F-35 customers have talked about “leaving the fold,” so to speak, the US Air Force and Lockheed Martin could mobilize a full-spectrum lobbying effort to bring those nations back in. However, with the differences now between the US and other NATO members and the disparaging rhetoric from Washington about its European partners, it is doubtful that these traditional arm-twisting efforts would still be effective.
Outside of these higher-level policy issues, the Gripen JAS-39E/F version of the fighter offers significant improvements that make it a “best value” selection, in the opinion of numerous military analysts. The aircraft is now up to the MS 20 Block configuration that features some of the latest combat aviation innovations and systems.
These include integrating the MBDA Meteor air-to-air missile, Boeing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb updated radar modes, digital close air support functions, improved Link 16 connectivity, and enhanced civil navigation. Other improvements include chemical,
JAS 39 Gripen Fighter from Sweden.
JAS 39. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
JAS 39. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
JAS 39. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
JAS 39 Gripen. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) pilot protection, a ground collision avoidance system (GCAS), and night-capable operations using the SPK 39 Modular Reconnaissance Pod II.
(Saab has also offered a set of similar future upgrades to the Gripen C/D, unofficially designated MS 20++ configuration, which are being developed for international users who are not transitioning to the Gripen E.)
The Gripen E/F variants include significant performance improvements by incorporating structural and system redesigns. The Gripen E is powered by the same General Electric F414G engine flown in the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which provides approximately 20% more thrust than the F404 used in the C/D models.
The E/F design has an internal fuel capacity increased by 40% due to a redesigned landing gear system, resulting in a combat radius exceeding 1,500 kilometers.
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson is a survivor of the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and is an Expert on Foreign Military Affairs with the Fundacja im. Kazimierza Pułaskiego in Warsaw. He has been a consultant to the Pentagon, several NATO governments and the Australian government in the fields of defense technology and weapon systems design. Over the past 30 years he has resided in and reported from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China and Australia.
