Unclear when Ottawa will complete fighter jet review: Saab CEO

OTTAWA — More than a year after the Liberal government launched a review of plans to buy a fleet of F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin, even the competition doesn’t know when exactly Ottawa will reach a final decision.

Prime Minister Mark Carney opened Canada to the prospect of acquiring a mixed fighter fleet last year, when he announced on March 14, 2025 that Ottawa would take a second look at its plans to purchase the U.S.-made F-35 jet amid the ongoing trade war with President Donald Trump.

Micael Johansson, the CEO of rival jet maker Saab, told The Canadian Press the timeline for the review to be concluded remains unclear to him.

“I don’t actually know when the government will take a decision,” Johansson said in an interview on the sidelines of an event in Ottawa on Monday.

“Some of my meetings here, of course, are about that — to ask questions like that — but I honestly don’t know.”

Johansson was in the nation’s capital this week, where he spoke at a Canadian Club of Ottawa event about advancing co-operation between Canada and Sweden in defence.

By Tuesday, Johansson was off to Brazil for an event marking the first Gripen-E rolling off the assembly line at a jet assembly factory Saab has set up.

“The government has asked us lots of questions on how it would look from an industrial setup perspective, how we would transfer technology, the capabilities of the fighters and such, how it would integrate and work well from the fleet perspective interoperability,” Johansson said.

“So, we provided all that information to them and then it’s up to them to evaluate. That’s where we are.”

Saab and Lockheed Martin were the two finalists in Canada’s future fighter competition to replace the aging CF-18s, The contract was awarded in 2023 to the U.S. aerospace company.

A Lockheed official referred questions from The Canadian Press about the timeline back to the federal government.

A U.K. ministry of defence official told The Canadian Press in February the British government has not been engaged in export discussions with Canada regarding any potential Eurofighter Typhoon procurement possibilities.

Carney and Defence Minister David McGuinty had both publicly stated last year the F-35 review would conclude by the end of summer. At one point, McGuinty had even specified by Sept. 21.

Cabinet ministers have insisted for months the review of the procurement of 88 F-35s remains alive, although the Liberal government has largely stopped bringing it up on its own.

National Defence did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

“We have been clear about this for a year, which is we’re going to take the time we need to get this right,” McGuinty told a March 9 news conference when a reporter quizzed him about why it is taking long to reach a decision.

“Obviously the question of industrial benefits features large in this question of this choice of aircraft for a fighter fleet. The question of relations with the United States of course finds its way into this decision, and we’re managing that very carefully.”

At a House of Commons committee hearing last fall, Stephen Fuhr, secretary of state for defence procurement, said he was “sure” the prime minister had opened an F-35 review report that had been sent to the prime minister’s office.

Fuhr added it is more important the government makes the “right decision” on the “massive investment,” rather than conduct it quickly.

A 2025 report by the auditor general said the program costs had grown to $27.7 billion, which covers acquiring 88 F-35As, related equipment, maintenance and the construction of new fighter squadron facilities with stepped-up security.

Ottawa has already committed billions toward the front end of the order for 16 F-35s.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2026.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press