CANADA’S BOLD F-35 REJECTION: Ottawa Ditches Lockheed for Saab Gripen – Sovereignty Over Software Lock-In Wins in Historic Shift!
In a stunning December 2025 announcement, Canada selected Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen E/F over Lockheed Martin’s F-35, ending years of pressure to join the U.S.-led program. Ottawa cited full software access, domestic control, and Arctic-optimized capabilities as decisive – a quiet but seismic assertion of sovereignty amid NATO alliances.
The decision rejects F-35’s “flying supercomputer” model, where updates, diagnostics, and modifications require U.S. approval. Canada viewed this as eroding independence: over decades, operational control shifts externally, turning allies into dependent operators.
Gripen offers complete source code, modification rights, and independent sustainment – allowing Canadian engineers to customize systems without foreign permissions. This aligns with long-term resilience, especially in contested software-driven warfare.
Geographically vital for Canada’s vast Arctic, Gripen excels in dispersed operations: short takeoffs from highways/rough strips, rapid repairs by small teams, and extreme cold tolerance – countering Russia’s northern buildup without relying on vulnerable major bases.
Unlike F-35’s stealth focus, Gripen emphasizes electronic warfare, sensor degradation, and high sortie rates for survivability in disrupted environments. Modular design enables quick engine swaps and upgrades on Canadian soil.
Industrial benefits seal the deal: final assembly in Canada, thousands of aerospace jobs, skills pipeline for universities – rebuilding domestic ecosystem rather than exporting expertise via F-35 offsets.
Washington expressed “concern” over interoperability, but Gripen meets NATO standards (Link 16, secure comms). Analysts note diversified fleets enhance alliance resilience, reducing single-point failures.
Canada’s move sets precedent: midsize allies can prioritize autonomy without fracturing cooperation. As software defines modern air power, Ottawa redefined loyalty – partnership, not submission – sending ripples through Europe eyeing similar trade-offs.
