F-35 beat Gripen fighter jet 'by a mile' in 2021 Defence Department competition - CBC

Open this photo in gallery:A Swedish JAS 39E Gripen flies overhead at the centenary event of the Swedish Air Force at Malmen Air Base outside Linkoping, Sweden, on Aug. 22. Gavin John/The Globe and MailIn the final-assembly hall for the Saab Gripen fighter jet in the Swedish city of Linkoping, the flags of Saab’s eight customer countries hang above the production line. A ninth spot holds a white banner reading, in red capital letters, RESERVED. Asked whether it was for Canada, a Saab official smiled, shrugged and said nothing. Behind the scenes, though, Saab is pulling out all the stops in order to put Canada’s name on the banner. At a recent briefing at Saab’s Linkoping headquarters that included The Globe and Mail, company officials laid out a range of benefits that Canada can expect should it go ahead with a major order for Gripen jets. Saab had already promised a Canadian assembly line for the Gripen but had yet to detail the scope of that promise. The company is proposing to build the fighter jets in Canada from parts to finished aircraft, across a network of roughly 10 prime partners and some 250 suppliers in several provinces.