Canada has little reason to think Sweden would pull the rug out from under us. Can we say the same about the Trump Administration?
Amid discussion of whether Canada should choose the F-35 or the Saab Gripen E, a determinant must not be overlooked:
Trust.
The Trump Administration has openly spoken of its desire to inflict economic pain on Canada. The U.S. President has said our border is an artificial line. Our auto sector, steel sector, and aluminum sectors are all being targeted by the U.S. and are paying a serious price.
Donald Trump has shown a willingness to use coercion and threats to get what he wants, and promises he makes today may mean nothing tomorrow if he changes his mind. Just look at how the U.S. is treating Ukraine, presenting a ‘peace deal’ that is effectively a Russian wishlist.
With this in mind, does it make sense to put all our eggs in the F-35 basket? Can we really be confident that the Trump Administration wouldn’t use this against us? If F-35s were all we had, what would happen if Trump threatened to withhold software updates unless we made some concession on an unrelated trade matter?
This is why Canada must hedge its bets. While we should buy some F-35s (it is quite an effective plane), we should not be wholly reliant upon it. In addition to buying F-35s, we should buy some Saab Gripen E’s and work with Saab to have Gripens built in Canada (for both the RCAF and Ukraine). At this time, we have much more reason to believe Sweden would be a reliable partner, and their offer of building Gripens in Canada would be very beneficial for Canadian sovereignty.
This is a moment for Canada to defend our sovereignty and strengthen the aerospace sector. And while the are costs to running a dual fleet, the cost of being fully dependent on the U.S. would be much higher.
Spencer Fernando
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