Canada opens talks to buy Sweden's Saab instead of U.S. platform

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement at the CANSEC trade show on Wednesday, amid broader efforts by Ottawa to diversify defence partnerships and increase domestic defence manufacturing.

The Saab GlobalEye system is built on the Canadian-made Bombardier Global 6500 and combines airborne early warning capabilities with long-range surveillance across air, sea and land domains.

According to a statement, the proposed procurement could support about 3,000 jobs in the country’s aerospace and defence sectors, with at least one-third of the projected fleet expected to be manufactured in Canada over the next 15 years.

While Ottawa did not directly compare the deal with U.S. alternatives, the decision to pursue a Swedish platform instead of an American suppliers comes as Canada reassesses defence procurement priorities and seeks to strengthen domestic industrial participation.

The government said the aircraft would enhance Canada’s ability to detect and track threats across the Arctic and North American airspace, including through NORAD and NATO operations.

Carney said Canada has invested more than C$65 billion ($47 billion) in defence and security over the past year and has reached NATO’s target of spending 2% of GDP on defence for the first time since the Cold War.

Defence Minister David J. McGuinty said the platform would improve surveillance and situational awareness across the Arctic and Canada’s northern approaches.

Ottawa also unveiled broader reforms to speed up defence procurement and expand Canada’s defence industrial base, including new investment incentives, streamlined approval timelines and a partnership framework aimed at increasing domestic production.