Saab has named CAE, IMP Aerospace & Defence and Magellan Aerospace as its principal Canadian industrial partners for the Gripen E, setting out how the fighter would be built and supported in Canada if Ottawa decides to buy it.
The Swedish company said it had signed a teaming agreement with IMP to establish a Gripen final assembly line in Canada. IMP would also be responsible for electrical assembly production and in-service support for a Canadian fleet.
A separate memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Magellan covers local manufacturing of advanced aerostructures, composite structures and structural assemblies.
All the arrangements depend on a Canadian order of Gripen E/F fighters, which Saab says would create jobs in areas such as high-technology manufacturing, advanced materials and model-based systems engineering.
An expanded Canadian team with ambitions beyond Canada
Saab and CAE signed an MoU on July 17, 2026, under which CAE would deliver fighter pilot and technician training, mission systems engineering and sustainment in Canada if the Gripen were selected.
IMP and CAE were also part of the Gripen for Canada Team that Saab assembled in March 2020 for the original Future Fighter Capability Project, alongside GE and Arcfield Canada, then known as Peraton Canada. Magellan is the new name among the principal partners.
“While that capability would be established to meet Canada’s requirements, its potential reaches well beyond Canada,” said David Gossen, President of IMP Aerospace & Defence, adding that IMP sees an opportunity to produce and support aircraft for other Gripen customers.
Saab said it is also engaged with other unnamed Canadian companies, academic institutions and research organizations.
Gripen pitch continues as Canada receives its first F-35s
The announcement came five days after the Royal Canadian Air Force accepted its first two F-35As at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona on October 22, 2026.
Canada announced an agreement to acquire 88 F-35As in January 2023. Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered a review of the purchase in March 2025, and the government has since committed to the first 16 aircraft. Defense Minister David McGuinty told the Senate defense committee on April 27, 2026, that the review was continuing, without giving a date for a decision.
Saab CEO Micael Johansson said in March 2026 that delivering the first Gripen to Canada within five years was achievable.
Saab already has a separate foothold in Canada’s air force modernization plans. On May 27, 2026, the government named the Swedish company its preferred supplier for an airborne early warning and control capability based on the GlobalEye, which uses the Canadian-built Bombardier Global 6500 airframe.