Canada Questions the F-35 — Gripen Delivers an Offer U.S. Can’t Match

#breakingnews #canada #markcarney #trump

📌 In this episode, we explore why Canada is reassessing its commitment to the F-35 program — and how Sweden’s Gripen has entered the conversation with an industrial offer the United States may not be able to match. What began as a routine procurement update has grown into a broader discussion about value, autonomy, and the future of Canada’s defence industry.

🎯 Key Topics to Cover:

Ottawa’s shifting stance: Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly questioning whether Canada is receiving sufficient industrial benefits and jobs from the F-35 program.

Economic pressure in the U.S.: layoffs, automation, and wider industrial uncertainty that raise questions about the long-term stability of the F-35 supply chain.

Program constraints: U.S. control over exports, upgrades, and technology pathways, and limited Canadian participation in high-value work.

Gripen’s proposal: Saab’s offer of domestic production, potential partnerships with Canadian firms, and thousands of new aerospace jobs.

Strategic diversification: growing interest in a mixed-fleet model and reduced reliance on a single foreign supplier.

Broader geopolitical context: Europe emerging as a more flexible partner amid shifting U.S. tariff and policy signals.

Long-term implications: how each option shapes Canada’s industrial base, control over technology, and future role within allied defence networks.

👉 What do you think?
As Canada weighs both economic and strategic considerations, which path seems more aligned with long-term autonomy — deepening the current F-35 framework or building a more locally grounded industry through alternatives like the Gripen?
👇 Share your thoughts in the comments.
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