Saab Names CAE, IMP and Magellan as Gripen Partners for Canada as First CF-35As Arrive

Saab on October 27, 2026 named three Canadian companies, CAE, IMP Aerospace & Defence and Magellan Aerospace, as its industrial partners for a Canadian JAS 39 Gripen program, an arrangement the Swedish manufacturer said would take effect only "if the Government of Canada decides to acquire the Gripen E." The announcement came five days after the Royal Canadian Air Force received its first two F-35 fighters, the type Ottawa selected in 2023 and is now reviewing.

Under the plan, Saab said the three firms would form a national ecosystem to produce, assemble, support and further develop the aircraft in Canada, including training and long-term sustainment. IMP Aerospace & Defence signed a new teaming agreement to set up a final assembly line for the Gripen in Canada, along with electrical assembly production and in-service support. Magellan Aerospace signed a new memorandum of understanding covering local manufacture of aerostructures, composite structures and structural assemblies. CAE's role rests on a previously signed memorandum of understanding that covers fighter pilot and technician training, mission systems engineering, and support and sustainment.

"Canada's fighter capability is a long-term national investment," Saab's chief executive said in the release. The company added that it is also engaging other Canadian companies, academic institutions and research organizations.

None of it is committed. Canada has made no decision to buy the Gripen E, and the F-35 review that would open the door to one is still under way. Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the review of the F-35 purchase amid President Donald Trump's repeated trade and annexation threats, CBC News reported, and it was supposed to have concluded a year ago. According to CBC News, Carney has paused plans to proceed with the planned order for 88 F-35s, and Ottawa may instead field a mixed fleet that includes Gripen jets.

The F-35 program is moving in the meantime. The RCAF announced on social media that it had received its first two F-35 jets, sharing a photo from Phoenix, Arizona, CBC News reported. GlobalMilitary.net's event record places the handover of the two aircraft, designated CF-35A in Canadian service, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, on October 22, 2026 (event page). The jets stay at Luke to train Canadian pilots and maintainers, and the first eight Canadian aircraft are to be based there, with the first arrivals in Canada expected in 2028. Canada approved the acquisition of 88 aircraft in January 2023 to replace its CF-18 Hornets, with initial operational capability planned for the end of 2030.

GlobalMilitary.net's inventory records list 95 F/A-18 Hornets, the CF-18, active with the RCAF, alongside the 2 F-35s delivered and 86 remaining on order. The Gripen flies with a smaller set of operators: in GMN data, Sweden has 96 active and 58 on order, Brazil 11 active and 25 on order, Hungary 17 and the Czech Republic 14 active, while Colombia (17) and Ukraine (32) have aircraft on order but none yet in service. A side-by-side of how the Gripen and F-35 compare sets out the two types' specifications.

What follows depends on the review. Saab's teaming agreement and memoranda take effect only if Canada selects the Gripen E, a decision Ottawa has not taken, while the F-35 schedule runs on: the first eight jets at Luke, first arrivals in Canada in 2028 and initial operational capability at the end of 2030.