Industry experts question Saab’s pitch to bring 10,000 jobs to Canada

Critics are questioning the solidity of Saab's pitch to deliver 10,000 jobs in Canada if it decides to set up shop here to assemble Gripen fighter jets.

Critics are questioning the solidity of Saab’s pitch to deliver 10,000 jobs in Canada if it decides to set up shop here to assemble Gripen fighter jets.

The Swedish company has said little about how it came to that number, making it hard to evaluate the offer.

Saab spokesperson Jenny Gerdes said the estimate reflects the “scale of work” the company anticipates bringing to the country, “should the Gripen be selected.”N

“The figure is based on projected global demand for Gripen and the corresponding production, sustainment and R&D activities Canada would undertake,” Gerdes said in an email.

“The details of the industrial program and the associated modelling are part of ongoing discussions with the government of Canada, so we’re not in a position to share specific breakdowns,” she added. “However, the estimate aligns with established industry benchmarks and what we know Canadian firms can support.”

Saab has production lines in Sweden and Brazil and has proposed creating a new production hub in Canada or elsewhere in Europe to cope with growing demand for its jets around the world, including in Ukraine.

Ottawa is reviewing its plans to acquire up to 88 F-35 stealth fighters from American manufacturer Lockheed Martin — a contract that Saab sought before it was awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2022.

Richard Shimooka, an F-35 proponent at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think tank, dismissed Saab’s jobs figure as “completely unrealistic.”