Canada to Acquire European Surveillance Aircraft from Saab and Bombardier
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TORONTO (AP) — Canada will buy early warning radar planes built by Sweden’s Saab and Canada’s Bombardier over two American options, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday.
SurveyCarney said his government has entered negotiations to procure Saab’s Airborne Early Warning & Control Aircraft, which is built on the Canadian-manufactured Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft and will support domestic production.
Carney also noted it is made with 20% U.S. content. The federal government has previously stated it is in the market for six radar aircraft.
Canada joined a major European Union defense fund last year, and Carney has emphasized the importance of diversifying military spending away from the United States.
Equipped with powerful radar, the Saab planes provide situational awareness about aircraft and missile movements for hundreds of miles. They can detect hostile activity in the air or from ships and are capable of directing fighter jets to their targets.
“Saab’s GlobalEye will be a key resource for the Canadian Armed Forces to detect and deter threats across the Arctic,” Carney said.
The other options would have been to purchase the E-7A Wedgetail surveillance planes manufactured by U.S. company Boeing or the Aeris X by L3Harris.
NATO is also considering the Saab plane over the American options.
Carney has previously indicated that no more than 70 cents of every dollar of Canadian military capital spending will go to the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s actions, including launching a trade war and suggesting Canada become the 51st U.S. state, have angered Canadians and shaped the political landscape that enabled Carney to assume the role of prime minister after pledging to confront Trump’s increasing aggression.
The Canadian government is currently reviewing its planned purchase of U.S. F-35 fighter jets to explore other alternatives. Carney has mentioned that the potential for increased domestic production is a factor in this decision. A proposal by Saab assured that the assembly and maintenance of the Saab Gripen fighter jet would occur in Canada.
