Saab names Canadian partners IMP, Magellan and CAE for a Gripen E assembly line in Canada, if Ottawa picks the fighter

Production of the Gripen E in Canada would be set up with three major Canadian aerospace companies if the country’s government decides to buy the Swedish fighter. Saab announced on Tuesday, October 27 that its key industrial partners will be IMP Aerospace & Defence, Magellan Aerospace and CAE. None of the three cooperation arrangements is activated without an Ottawa decision in favour of the Gripen.

IMP takes on the heaviest part. Under the Teaming Agreement it signed with Saab, it will set up in Canada a new final assembly line for the aircraft, produce the electrical assemblies and provide in-service support (ISS) for Canadian Gripens. Magellan Aerospace signed a memorandum of understanding for the local manufacture of advanced airframes, composite structures and structural assemblies. CAE had already signed an earlier memorandum covering fighter pilot and technician training, mission systems engineering, and support and maintenance capabilities in Canada.

The Swedish company presents the arrangement as a first step toward a broad national ecosystem that would build, deliver and support the multirole fighter. If selected, Saab and its Canadian partners would acquire within the country full capability for production, final assembly, support and further development of airpower capabilities, together with training and long-term maintenance.

“Canada’s fighter capability is a long-term national investment. Together with CAE, IMP and Magellan Aerospace we are ready to create a strong Canadian industrial ecosystem around the Gripen, which will deliver operational capability, national sovereignty and lasting industrial and technological benefits,” said Saab president and CEO Micael Johansson.

The partners’ view

IMP sees opportunities beyond the country’s borders. Its president, David Gossen, said the company is “proud” to have been chosen by Saab and that the capability to be created for Canada’s needs “reaches far beyond Canada”. As he explained, IMP could also build and support aircraft for other international Gripen customers, making Canadian industry a permanent part of the global programme.

Magellan Aerospace’s vice president of business development, Hayden Martin, spoke of decades of experience in advanced aerostructures, high-tech jobs and a sovereign defence capability “here in Canada”. For CAE, Defense & Security group president Pascale Grenier recalled the company’s long-standing commitment to the Royal Canadian Air Force. “If the Government of Canada selects the Gripen, CAE is ready to work with Saab to support the country’s future fighter force,” she said.

Saab argues that the partnerships, once activated, will bring a significant number of new jobs and skills in high-tech manufacturing, advanced materials and model-based systems engineering. They will also give Canada a self-sufficient capability to develop, maintain and upgrade a critical national asset for decades. In parallel, the company is talking to a wide range of Canadian companies, academic institutions and research organisations.

The announcement comes as Canada has already received its first two F-35As. For Saab, the Gripen is at the centre of other programmes too, with the first 16 Swedish fighters for Ukraine, and a few days earlier the company reported a record order backlog of SEK 364 billion, as Geopolitiki reported.