Canada Chooses Swedish Planes Over US Model

Canada has announced plans to buy a fleet of early warning planes from Sweden’s Saab rather than a competing option from Boeing, marking a shift away from reliance on U.S. defense firms.

Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed the decision at a defense conference in Ottawa, stating that Canada would opt for Saab’s GlobalEye, which is based on Bombardier’s Global 6500 jet. According to The Guardian, Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail plane had also been considered but suffered from delays and cost overruns.

Carney emphasized that the move would build Canadian strategic autonomy, create domestic jobs, and reinforce Canada's position as a global leader. The deal is part of Canada's broader strategy to diversify its military spending away from the United States, according to The Guardian. The Saab planes will be equipped with advanced sensors and mission systems to detect and deter threats across the Arctic.

Canada has previously said it is keen to work more closely with Nordic countries in the Arctic on defense issues. Carney also noted that no more than 70 cents of every dollar of Canadian military capital spending would go to the U.S., as reported by The Los Angeles Times. The decision comes amid tensions between Canada and the U.S., including trade wars and political rhetoric.

Saab is also in the running to sell Canada some of its Gripen fighters. Canada has a deal to buy 88 F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin, but Carney asked the military to investigate whether it could cut back on that order and explore other options following U.S. tariffs on key Canadian imports.

Carney pledged in March that Canada would take full responsibility for protecting its vast Arctic territory, after relying for decades on a partnership with the US to monitor its more than 4.4 million square km (1.7 million square miles) of land and sea, a territory larger than India. Carney’s Liberal government last year announced plans to ramp up defence spending, hitting NATO targets of spending 2 percent of its GDP on defence last year.

Philippe Lagasse, associate director of international affairs at Ottawa’s Carleton University, said Canada’s decision to buy the GlobalEye planes was “an important test case for the Carney government’s policy of pivoting away from American military capability”. He noted that this decision confirms Canada’s relationship with Sweden, a new NATO ally eager to strengthen its ties to the Canadian military.

The announcement came amid ongoing trade tensions between US and Canada after US President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on Canada after taking office last year. Historically, nearly 80 percent of Canada’s exports have been to the US, with the vast majority protected under the USMCA trade agreement due for review starting July 1.